Anywho, it's been requested that I give some more details as to my classes:
At my high school during one of their Senior Farewells, there was this skit in which each of the 7 or so students pretended to be one of our teachers, merely saying one of their taglines. It was funnier when they did it. Either way, my three professors in tagline and behavioral traits form:
Sinead (pronounced "Snid"): listens while slouched way down in her chair then respond with eyebrows up and a slow, deep head bob while saying, "Riiiiiiight, riiiiight, yeah."
Stefanie (pronounced "Schtefanie"): leans way forward when she listens with her neck outstretched, totally tense and says, "Tow-tahlly, tow-tahlly. yah."
Eamonn (pronounced "E-mn"): strokes his beard or runs his fingers through his hair constantly and starts with a sort of chuckle-harumph before he responds with, "Yes...yes..right. well. not quite."
My first class (the one in which I am the only student) is with Eamonn. I've no idea what to call him. Doctor Hughes? Professor? Tutor? Eamonn? I go with nothing. I just greet him.
Class progresses in the exact same way every week:
"Have you got any questions?"
"About the class or about the reading?"
"Either."
*Jamie squirms trying to figure out what she's supposed to say, knowing that she doesn't even know where to begin with a question on either the text or the class and knowing that he's not looking for a question. He's looking for a position. Therefore, she starts spouting off random things she's noticed in the text.
*Chuckle harumph*"Yes...yes...right. well. not quite" then goes on to talk about everything in creation except for the actual reading. Jamie hasn't the faintest idea how anything that's happening relates, and she zones out for long periods of time. "Yes, well getting to the point of how it relates to the text..." and connects it in ways that are totally above Jamie's head. "Have you got any questions?"
*Jamie slowly nods her head as if in understanding and says, "Not quite. I'm still just processing through."
Class ends. Every week.
Today, though, I brought in coffee and my new stress ball. [Digression: my stress ball. It's a wee globe of a nice weight and size that reminds me of one of my favorite books. Better yet. It's also a snowglobe, a bouncy ball, and a light-up ball. What. Yes.] I played with it all through class (which actually helped me focus better), but I dropped it near the end and it went bezerk with the light show, to which Eamonn exclaimed: "Blimey!!!"
hahahahaha. Blimey. That's a thing here.
My second class is a gaggle of discussion and energy and it goes by pretty quickly, I'd say.
To be clear, I really enjoy the reading for both of these classes. I just usually am at a loss as to the content of the discussion. Did I google for "Irish history for dummies" today? Yes. Yes I did.
Ways that my classmates and I try to appear as if we know class information:
-"To that point...oh I've just lost it!" (flips through book as if to rediscover answer)
-Repeating in different words exactly what the person before you said
-Saying, when called upon, that you are processing.
-Talking well about something entirely unrelated and mentioning that it reminds you of the text.
-Bringing up a point from a previous class you had with that same professor and getting them off-topic
-The deep nod
-Making a question of the last statement made and making it sound as though you've just made a profound statement. agh. Too many "made"s.
-Looking deeply into your text and writing lots and lots of notes or typing lots of nonsense. Too busy transcribing brilliance to answer questions or participate in discussion.
At 17:30 each day, the classroom is filled with the sweet scent of chinese food. Every week. I finally discovered that we abuck (yah I said it. abuck) ChinaChina foodery. Talk about distracting and far more interesting at dinnertime than Victorian Irish literature.
Am I enjoying my education? Yes. I love the readings; I love the pieces I understand, and I actually enjoy getting into lightly heated discussions over the text with my classmates.
That wasn't a very exhaustive post. Sorry, ma. But it gives a nice little image for ya.
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