The Social Networking Teacher

Workday - 7:15am-3:45pm

The Internet used to be considered a young man's game. Kids' stuff. But now that the fastest growing group of users is retirees and seniors, that outlook is outdated. Of course, there is still this middle group of people in their late 30s to early 50s who are out of the loop (likely the same people I was addressing in my previous post). This is the group students would like to think their teachers are in.

They don't realize that some of us are in our 20s and early 30s. We grew up with computers, and the Internet emerged while we were in high school/university and we embraced it.

My students are shocked, SHOCKED, when they learn teachers use their same technology and gadgets. Their jaws dropped when I brought my Nintendo DS to school. I imagine their reaction would be similar if they learned my colleague just bought his third copy of GTA: San Andreas after wearing out the first two. They stifle giggles when they see our cell phones and iPods, assuming we're struggling to use their most basic functions.

Of course, when I was a student I never believed my teachers had any semblance of fun.

Imagine their surprise if they knew I had a blog, let alone accounts on most of the popular social networking sites. Students assume these places, such as LiveJournal, MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, etc., were created for them alone. Except I created a profile on one of these particular sites just recently, and at a student's urging. With one student on my list of friends, a snowball effect followed and I soon had over a dozen.

The snowballing also brought in other teachers who made profiles. I have four teachers on my list of friends, three of whom are colleagues. These colleagues' friend lists are made up almost entirely of current and past students.

Yes, this could be a slippery slope. But it's dangerous territory for both myself and the students. I'm being careful to make sure students are not seeing information that is too personal. The students, however, are not so careful.

Many Internet users (young and old) are still struggling with the knowledge that this place is public domain. It's fairly difficult to put incriminating comments out there and expect anonymity.

*nervous cough*

And there is definitely no privacy for such comments when they are attached to a profile with your name on it.

Do you think you're safe on your website because someone has to join to see profiles, or because someone has to add you as a friend to see you specifically? Well teachers, parents, and principals are joining! And even if we're not on your list of friends, have you been checking the friends of every other person whose profile you commented on?

It's the start of semester 2, and a certain student on one of my class lists hasn't shown yet. I've heard through the grapevine that he plans to drop the course. So fine, drop the course already. Don't post to your friend's profile: "Im not gunna com 2 class. Band sux. Hur hur hur", etc.

That friend of yours is my friend, too.

So look out kids. Teachers are on the same websites as you, reading everything you put out there.

Or, to put it in terms you might better understand:

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*interchangeable with: Blogger, Facebook, LiveJournal, Friendster, etc.

A Teacher, A Time Magazine, A Trendsetter

Workday - 8:15am-2:00pm

Time magazine made me 2006's Person of the Year. It's quite an honour.

From the reactions of a lot of people who felt Time made a poor decision, I can tell who just doesn't get it. First, they have to understand that Time's Person of the Year isn't always a "hero", it needs only to be a person who made a great impact that year. Secondly, you would have to actually be out there on the Internet seeing the types of websites that are transforming the web's second coming.

If you're sitting there still thinking this Internet thing is a fad, well welcome to fuddy-duddyism. You are now on the road to making yourself obsolete.

What's that? You want to be Time's Person of the Year, too? Well get out of that stuffy corner office, put aside the celebrity worship, turn away from your CNN and Iraq war obsession for even an hour and start contributing with the rest of us!

A Lesson for New High School Students

Workday - (none)

It's my last official day of vacation. Only the upcoming long-weekend remains before it's time for the evil "back-to-school".

How did I spend my vacation, you ask? I moved into my very own house. Yes, it is pretty sweet. And yes, it's only a 7-minute drive from my school. I am officially a suburbanite, and feeling old. But it's hard to feel bad about that when the livin' is this good.

Today's post is supposed to be directed at new high school students, but it really applies to all high school students. Perhaps even all students.

Lesson: Teachers are smarter than you.

I know, I know. You're pretty sure that's wrong. After all, if someone you already know has inferior intelligence and wisdom tells you she is smarter, it's certainly inadmissible testimony.

While there may be little I can say to convince you, consider the following:

We were your age once, too. No matter how long ago it was, no matter how "different things were back then", much about being a teenager stays the same. The difference now is, we have the experience of being a teenager, plus several more years! During those added years, we've been surrounded by further teenagers (your older peers) who also pulled the same crap. Some of us even have teenaged children.

We know what you're doing. We know what you just went off and did. And we know what that word means.

Many times you will get away with it. When teachers do not acknowledge that particular "bad thing" you did, it's because we're choosing to ignore it. We choose our battles. It's one of the things we learned in those years spent after being teens, ourselves. Don't worry, you'll learn it one day too.

Keep in mind, whatever it was you just "got away with" will be remembered. You may not have gotten in trouble for it today, but teachers will be judging you later because of it. We could be thinking about it for the rest of the course -- when we mark your tests, when we write your report card, and when you ask us for some favour down the road.

We might even blog about it.

An Addendum To The Lesson

I really had a lot more I wanted to say on the topic of that post, so I decided I'd write a separate entry with more of the specifics.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard (or overheard) a student say "I can't believe she didn't notice!" Then they glance back at me and continue assuming I'm from another planet.

I know you weren't actually in the bathroom.

I know the reason you were late for class wasn't because the vice principal was holding you prisoner in the hall.

I see you trying to pass a message to your friend.

I know you have earbuds on, hidden underneath your hair.

I can smell that crap you're eating.

I also smell that you smoked pot before class.

And yeah, I heard what you just called me.

The reason I decided to direct this lesson at new students (a.k.a. the new class of grade 9s, or "freshmen") is because the level of naiveté is significantly higher in that year. It only makes sense. If you're younger and more naive than every other high school student, and you assume teachers are dumber than you, then that would put teachers at the level of drooling idiots.

Consider the 18-year-old, grade 11 student who liked to burst out in "Lil John" impressions (years ago when it was still trendy, and not as tired as it is now). He certainly impressed his classmates by doing so without getting a single comment out of me. I presumed he was hoping I'd ask what the hell he was doing, at some point. Except I know what he was doing. I know who Lil John is and, yes, I even watch Chappelle's Show.

After a few weeks, his impressions climaxed in a proud exclamation of "skeet skeet skeet!" The class snickered. I, at the board with my back to the class, rolled my eyes. He whispered to them, "she doesn't know what that means."

Yes I do.

Now consider the grade 9 student who said, right to my face "Don't let him go to the washroom, Miss. He's going to go jack off!" (*shock and stifled giggles from the few classmates that overheard*).

This kid isn't even hoping I didn't hear him. While he is looking for attention, he somehow expects I'll be stupefied by this foreign series of sounds that just came out of his mouth.

I narrowed my eyes to the utmost and responded flatly, "(Student's name), don't be rude."

He turned to his friend in what I imagine was a mixture of surprise and guilt, and whispered "Oh my god, she knew what that was!"

Sweet Jesus. Yes, that's just how ignorant grade 9s think we are. All the while, I'm learning a lot about the students' own ignorance. Every little thing they try to get past us is likely something they had recently learned, themselves.

So remember kids, teachers know. Sometimes, we just don't care.

Kids Are Snotty

Workday - 8:30am-4:00pm

It must be allergy season. I feel like a kindergarten teacher with all of these runny noses. Then the unthinkable happened today: the tissue box in my (period 1) classroom was empty.

It's not technically "my" classroom, and the room isn't even in my department (either of my departments!). I don't have access to school-issued tissues. The boxes I already have to buy for my music office desk get used by any and everyone in the vicinity. I can't afford to supply this class of gushing noses with them.

I normally refuse to let kids visit the washroom more than once to blow their noses (I told them to stock up on toilet paper to last for the rest of the period). It was disruptive enough having a new kid go out every 5 minutes.

Today, the class is writing a quiz when a student insists he's in a nasal emergency and has to make a second trip. There is no way he's getting out in the middle of a quiz. I tell him to use his sleeve.

I don't understand why the class acted grossed out. Since when were 14 and 15-year-olds so hygienic?