A skeptical lot

I spent today in a workshop with my co-workers learning about the current brain research as it connects to teaching and learning.

Now my brain hurts.

It was a fascinating day, but I was also intrigued watching and listening to our faculty's skepticism about what they were hearing. We are a snobby group, intellectually speaking, and I find tonight I am in a bit of a funk about it all. Even though today was eye-opening for me, I also realized how arrogant teachers can be.

Luckily, our presenter, Nicole, saw through the bullshit in a second. I talked with her at lunch and she asked me, "So, how well do you think your faculty works together?"

Me: "Not very."

Nicole: "Ahhhhh..."

Me: "But they have good intentions, they're just resistent to change."

Nicole: "Yes, they find comfort in their intelligence and then hide behind it, intellectualizing their way out of moving forward."

I fell in love with this very heavy African American woman who commanded our attention just like my own 6th grade, six-foot tall teacher who commanded my attention almost 40 years ago. Erma Miller. There was a woman who knew how to claim space. Nicole did as well.

After lunch, with the precision of a brain surgeon, she cut apart the resistence of our faculty with thoughtful, insightful, and honest questions until, I think...I hope...she overcame the resistance and helped us move forward. It was brilliant to watch. Inspiring, but I think my neurons are now firing at half speed because of all the information she pumped into us.

Meanwhile, I keep thinking about how my teaching partner and I need to have that talk with our students about claiming space and about the difference between claiming negative space and claiming positive space.

Lately, it's been a lot of negative claiming. And if I have to have one more discussion about friendships I think I'll puke up my liver. You should see me...on the outside I'm all teacher-as-therapist talking about boundaries and respect and using language like "What I hear you saying is..." and "When she says that to you, how does that make you feel?"

On the inside I'm screaming to myself, "Jesus fucking Christ! Just get over it!"

But my head keeps nodding as I listen to girls tell me that so and so did this or so and so said that and the tears start flowing and the hormones start erupting. Peyton Place meets 5th grade. Oy.

I suppose it's not a good mix...me, pre-menopausal (I turned quite the shade of crimson this afternoon during a mini-hot flash) and my students (all girls, as I teach at an all girls school) pre-menstrual. New blood meets old blood.

Not a pretty mix.

And today I learned that when the brain sees read, neurons fire like it's the Fourth of July, overstimulating the brain so that it downshifts and does not work at full capacity. A whole new perspective. Color theory in the classroom!

But tomorrow is Friday and we are off to the beach to look at nudibranchs and moonsnails, enjoying the sun and warmth the forecasters have assuredly predicted. Please may it be so. Nothing that a little sun and sand and invertebrate anatomy can't do to overcome friendship drama.

Not a bad gig, this here teaching. Even if days like today make my brain hurt.