The crockpot has become my go-to appliance for workdays, and some other days as well. Today I thought it would be a good idea to throw some broccoli on top of the chicken that had already been cooking in a little broth and teriyaki sauce. I got home about ten minutes ago, and I'm pretty sure I will never get the stench out of my house. Not only did the broccoli stink everything up, but it's a mushy mess on top of the chicken. I may or may not eat it; I'm waiting for rice to steam before I decide that.
Today I had my in-class observation in my early class, the one on the campus close to my house where I'm hoping to get a full-time position or at least pick up more classes as an adjunct. Six students came to class, out of the twelve or thirteen who are still on my roster. Most days we have at least ten present; I'm pretty sure today's attendance didn't make a good impression on the dean. It was weird too because he came up to me while I was teaching to ask if I'd been evaluated at my other campus this year (I had) and said that, if so, he didn't have to do the evaluation unless I wanted him to. Of course, this threw me off my game. I took it as a bad sign; he knows I'm applying for the full-time position, and at the faculty meeting he seemed supportive. It kind of felt like he didn't need to know about my teaching because he wouldn't be inviting me back -- full-time or otherwise. I said I would like him to stay, and he did. Even though I had put together what I thought would be a great lesson plan, the whole thing bombed. I don't usually take "student things" personally, but I was pissed that so many didn't show up for class.
In my afternoon class, I had an epiphany. I don't usually pay attention to the racial/ethnic/socioeconomic make-up of my classes, but this afternoon it was impossible not to. We brainstormed ideas for argument essays, and I asked the students to choose the six they thought most people in the class would know something about off the top of their heads. This should have been my first indication that I was working with groups from two separate worlds. (In that class -- or at least present today -- are five white males, one bi-racial male, two white females, and four black females. One of the white females is the homeless student I mentioned a few days ago.) As we debated topics, and I randomly assigned pro and con on the issues they had picked, the disparity became clear. All of the white males in the class expressed the opinion -- in various contexts -- that everyone in America had an equal chance of succeeding in life, especially when it came to getting an education. When I said that might not be the case, one of the white males said, "You just have to get As in school. It's not hard." I said that perhaps everyone wasn't sufficiently smart to achieve As, he balked and said it was about choices. One of the black females made the point that some people had to drop out of school to help with family obligations. Another said that some young women had children early and the fathers weren't around to help. Trying not to make anything I said personal (to either side) I said that if a child had shelter, food, and love, that child was way ahead of the game when it came to succeeding. I expressed a few more similar ideas, but I'm not sure my point came across.
I said that I was noticing a "disconnect" in viewpoints and in each groups willingness to listen to the other side. Then I wound down that discussion and had them get on with their in-class writing. It's been a beating-my-head-against-the-wall kind of day and I was tired of it. And now my house stinks.
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