Wednesday, February 09, 2005

The Dutchess of Room C106 or Choosing Your Battles

Posted by Hello

Today she put deodorant on in first hour. Right in the middle of class, a kid up giving an informative speech, with me sitting right behind her.

Let us call her Princess Grace.

A young lady in my Communications class is a Senior. She tells us loudly and often that at eighteen years old, she is grown. Truth be told, she is easily my size and so it is hard to argue that point.

Today, she chose to inform us with her speech how "Ohd (old with a silent L) People Cain't Drive". She had no statistics, no specifics except for the story of an ohd person driving down Melrose that almost hit her.

In my oral critique, we tried to speak of language that is more formal and how many people would shut down upon hearing her refer to "ohd people" and perhaps she should use another term.

"I cain't. They ohd."

Think gently of Princess Grace and I as we begin the study of Communications. I sense tragedy in our upcoming lessons on nonverbal communications and the idea that you cannot not communicate. She has yet to figure out how it looks unrefined to carry five combs in your purse and use them all within a ninety minute class, and she sure won't get how the application of deodorant is, perhaps, a personal matter.

She would call that "retarded" and I would remind her that my friend who is, in fact, mentally handicapped usually remembers to keep her personal hygiene...um...personal.

Think of us, please.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's late, or I might try to say this a bit more eloquently:

Thanks for blogging these hilarious tidbits that make me laugh. The laughter that soothes me, for I have no mints in the bottom of my purse to which I can turn, (at least not yet), and I am far far far away from Diet Coke with Lime from Sonic for a fucking limited time.

Ahem. Thanks.

I think you know who I am, so I shall remain, Anon.

Oakman said...

Ninety minute class? I always remember hearing that one hour was about as much as a grade schooler could cope with.

finijo said...

I love your stories - they make me feel like I am not fighting the battle alone, so to speak. So, I will share a brief story with you.
I'm a voc-rehab counselor and I work with people who have disabilities to help them become employed. Today I developed a plan of employment for 22 y.o. schizophrenic, HIV+, currently trying to stop smoking weed, young man who was recently released from a short stay in prison. I had to discuss with him that while I support his intention of becoming a counselor in the future, and I will support his efforts at going to college (as long as he is passing the classes and the drug tests), he really has to start working on getting rid of the plethora of tattoos and the gold and crystal inlay grill. I'm pretty sure it will only add to the difficulty he will have becoming employed once he graduates. He took it in stride as we looked for dentists who might be willing to help him with the removal of said grill on line. I counseled him that covering teeth with metal will cause them to rot and fall out and he replied, "I know, I already lost a tooth and had to get a porcelain crown." I asked him which one and was much chagrined when he pointed to one that had again been covered in gold and crystal inlay.

My sister found this website that translates any website into Snoopese - if you can't beat 'em, there is the option of joining them...

http://www.gizoogle.com/

educat said...

Dearest Anon, you are too kind.

Okie, Yep. I teach four 90 min classes a day. It works for me, I mix it up so the kids don't get too bored.

finijo, If we are fighting the same battle, you are in combat and I am Rob Petree who writes USO shows for the Army. That story is truly something.

EdWonk said...

I enjoyed reading the post. I've had several students just like her. We've linked this post at The Carnival Of Education: Week 2 It can be seen here:

http://educationwonk.blogspot.com/2005/02/carnival-of-education-week-2_16.html