I think that laughing at mistakes can be kind, encouraging, enriching and healing, yes. Bloopers are mistakes, pure and simple. Students don't have to consider themselves demeaned by making mistakes. Mistakes do not have to be treated as a shameful, secretive, serious issue. I don't treat them that way. My class yesterday received papers that were covered with criticism (pointing out their mistakes). (My rule of thumb is to leave little-to-no white space on each page of a paper I return, or I'm not doing my job.) My students were not in tears at not being held up as models of perfection. In fact, they appreciated the instruction (and the chance for a better grade that they'd earn by rewriting). When their attention lagged during my last rather mundane lecture, they grasped at straws, said ridiculuous things, and we all laughed. It helped, yes, indeed.
The point made yesterday on this list was that bloopers reflect communication between the students and teacher, and not only the students. In a sense, we are laughing at ourselves too, I think. We are laughing at where we made mistakes as teachers. (It's very funny to think that you could have taught someone to say these things that I've seen posted here.) I have had teachers who laughed at students in a way that demeaned them. I agree that that is a horrible thing to do. It's immoral, pure and simple. But so too is it horrible for a teacher to hold up a student's mistakes a very serious issue that has great profound meaning and implications. (My worst teachers were like that.) I give the people here on this list the benefit of the doubt because I haven't seen any evidence of mean spiriteness in these comments. Perhaps I interpret the words on the list in a kinder context. At 7:31 AM -0500 12/14/01, Louis_Schmier wrote: > >Now to the issue. Do you really think bloopering is a kindly thought that >abides by the golden rule? Do you really think this bloopering is >encouraging, enriching, and healing? Do you really think bloopering of >powerless students by power holding faculty is innocent? Do you really >think that this bloopering reflects enjoyment of teaching these students? >Do you really think bloopering is a celebration? Do you really think that >speaking negatively of students, of being so critical, allows you to like >them or like them more? Do you really think this bloopering isn't a >disguised form of rumor mongering? Do you really think this bloopering >isn't disguised stereotyping? > phone: 914-738-1147 fax: 914-738-1078 --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
