Fall classes began today at SHU. On this morning's docket: an Honor's section of Freshman Composition. The first day is always an exciting one, since you start off class with a "clean slate" and get to meet brand new people that you're going to get to know rather well in the year to come. It's especially fun when, for most of the students in the room, it is their first college class ever. Things went fairly well today, though I ran out of time and didn't get to cover everything I'd planned. At the end of class, after all the students filtered out, the class tutor (at Seton Hill, we're given a junior/senior who assists with class management -- this time around I have one who was actually in my Freshman Comp course four years ago) came up to me and confessed he had a hard time holding back laughter during the whole hour. "I get it now," he said. "I see all those things that the Freshman don't realize you're doing."

I laughed along with him, pleased that he could see the methods at work from the teacher's side of the desk. But the class may have been genuinely funny on its own accord. I generally throw out questions and solicit discussion on the first day, just to get people participating and to let them know the spirit of exchange I hope to generate in the classroom. But sometimes it gets silly. Here are some of the somewhat sillier things I recall that transpired, though my memories might be a little skewed:

While discussing the question, "What is critical thinking?"
Student: "It's when you go deeper into something."
Me: "So criticial thinking only happens underwater?"
Student: "Har-har...no, it's when you get inside of an idea and start asking questions about it."
Me: "Very good! And I would say the most important question is the question "Why?"
Another student raises her hand.
Me: "Yes?"
Student: "Well isn't that the whole reason for writing?"
Me: "I think so...wait...Isn't what the whole reason?"
Student: "To find out why?"
Me: "Yes, perhaps it is. But explain that a little more. Why would we want to do that?"
Student: "I don't know... to know more...?"
Me: "Yes, naturally, but why do it through writing?"
Student: "Umm...uhh..."
Me: "I mean why not just look things up? Why bother writing?"
Student: "...um, because that's what my teachers always taught me?"
Other students start nodding.
Me: "And why did they do that?"
Students start frowning.
Student: "Hey, wait....you just keep asking why!"
Me: "Precisely! And why do you think I'm doing that?"
Student (laughing): "Stop it!"
Me (laughing): "I know, I'm like the little kid who keeps asking why. Why is it bright out, daddy? But why does the sun rise, daddy? But why does it do that? Blah, blah, blah. Listen, I love what you're saying, but if we just want to know things, we can look them up. The world is more complicated than any dictionary or encyclopedia suggests. And you really shouldn't just ask why because a teacher told you. Including me. You should want to know for yourself. Writing gives us a way to 'submerge' into a concept and explore the reasons why on our own."

After introducing a future media critique assignment:
"You all probably agree that the media is bad for you. Everyone knows that. A lot of people say so. But, ironically, most of those people are on TV."

While discussing "What is persuasion?"
Student: "It's when you make a point and knock down your opponent's ideas, or anyone else who disagrees."
Me: "Whoa! That's mighty aggressive!"
Student: "Yes, it is!"
Me: "Well, I'm going to argue that you're wrong. But don't hurt me. Can I try to persuade you that you're wrong?"
Student smiles: "Go ahead and try."
Me: "Okay, by 'point' I think you mean a 'viewpoint,' but there's never just one point-of-view. Agreed?"
Student: "Of course. Why argue in the first place. Go on."
Me: "Okay, so there are multiple viewpoints. If there weren't, we wouldn't need lawyers and courtrooms. There'd just be the law and that would be that. A police state. But we need lawyers on both sides of a case to interpret the language of the law. But even beyond that, there are multiple truths. One man's truth is another man's lie. That's why there's religious disputes. I guess all we have, really, if we want to get along, is persuasion. In persuasion, you're simply trying to convince an audience that your position is the most reasonable one. Am I right?"
Student: "That works for me. I can see that."
Me: "Muahaha! So I win!"
Student frowns.
Class laughs.
Me: "Wait -- oh, shoot! No, I don't win. I lose, because I just knocked down your ideas, thereby proving your point, not mine!"
Student laughs.
I preen my beard profoundly, in order to cover the contradiction and move on: "You can win an argument by being most reasonable and yet still lose it. Hmm....maybe persuasion isn't about winning anything at all..."

While asking students about their majors...
Student: "I'm a poli-sci major."
Me: "Oh, a scientist of politics. Excellent!"
Student: "Yes."
Me: "Sounds kind of scary... [putting on a Peter Lorre voice] 'I'm a scientist of politics...a MAD scientist!'"
[Later, after asking if anyone in the classroom had a video camera for a later assignment]
Same Student: "I do!"
Me: "A political scientist with surveillance equipment! Now you're really starting to scare me!"

Most of this stuff is delivered very tongue-in-cheek and the students know I'm playing it up for the sake of interest. (I'm taking lessons from Johnstone's Impro.) They were all good sports and eager to talk. I was impressed by how engaged they already are with the main ideas of the course. I can tell this is going to be a great class dynamic. I'm excited about going "deeper" with them in the term to come.

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