Whiners...what DO we do with them?

I know I explained my job in an earlier post, but I have an additional job this semester that I did not mention earlier: facilitating discussions that follow up on a series of lectures given by one of our professors of philosophy (note: I only do this for the students that I work with). During the first semester, all new students take a “freshman experience” course (at Union, it’s called Gateway). My supervisor is the primary instructor for our kids’ Gateway class, but they have a series of lectures given by another professor that will- hopefully- help broaden their understandings of college and a “learning environment.”

Anyway, after Dr. B gives one of his lectures, I do a follow-up/review lesson in the next class. His lessons are really great, and I totally enjoy them. The students pay attention…ish. It’s early and most of them don’t go to bed until the sun starts to come up (ok, that may be an exaggeration for some students but definitely not for all of them). The first lesson he taught was entitled “Who am I?” and focused on identity. This last lesson was about meaning, answering the question, “Why am I here?”

Y’all. It was a great lesson. However, he used quotes from C. S. Lewis’ The Abolition of Man and Nietzsche’s “The Madman.” Those are both rather dense works of literature. My students + 8:00 am + Nietzsche = huh? I took notes furiously during his lesson, because I knew that I was going to have to have a broad range of info to pick from. This would be essential, given that I watched the students’ faces and saw the blank stares that they were giving him during class. Seriously? Most people get stuck just trying to figure out how all those letters fit into the name Nietzsche, much less what he was talking about.

This weekend, I devoted a good chunk of Saturday night and then Sunday afternoon to developing a good solid lesson for review. I enjoy writing lesson plans, for the most part. I like the creativity that goes into it, and I like trying to tap into the different “intelligences” that they had us memorize in our education classes. I planned this one out and had Brad check it over to make sure I wasn’t butchering any of the philosophical aspects. I hadMad Gabs for us to play (hinting at the difficulty of finding meaning), I had small group discussions planned (because they only wake up when they have the opportunity to talk), and only moderate thinking outside of concrete answers was required. I was excited; I thought they were going to be grateful for the fun game, as well as the chance to talk and not get in trouble.

I think I was wrong. They whined about the Mad Gabs being too hard. They whined about having to move to get into groups. They whined that they didn’t get the assignment that they wanted. They whined that the assignment had THREE parts to it. They whined that someone from each group had to be the spokesman.

They were so whiney!

I got so frustrated with them. I know it’s the plight of the teacher to be unappreciated and whined at, but seriously, folks: we’re in college. Let’s put on our big people’s pants and appreciate the carefully-selected Mad Gabs.

I would have LOVED to play Mad Gab way back when I was a student…

(P.S. Jaclyn and Susanna: I thought about y'all the WHOLE time we were doing Mad Gabs. SUCH fun!)