S1: Making the flash cards in class, we can ask around for the answers
S2: I am not in the mood. I know how to do it…I will do at home
S1: I bet you won’t
S2: I would if I needed
S1: Whatever…“The teacher opens the door and we choose to enter or not”.
S3: I hated this saying
S1: Why?...
S3: I don’t know…um…it’s not easy to go through all the information they throw at us, I guess. Usually I don’t know what to do. There is so much to catch up on
Student: I don’t like when the teacher asks me to go and copy long text on the board. I had one once that did it every class. It was like a curse! When I was not in the mood I just skipped class
Student 1: He doesn't like to read...he had scored 0 (zero) in Linguistic Intelligence!
Student2: Yes, he told me so. I was surprised because he is always with a book. When I confronted him, he said: "this book is my passport for privacy...teachers don’t bother you if you are busy with a book". I didn't know that “Pretending to be reading” is a popular strategy among the students; it is a way to disappear.
Student 1: How come?
Student 2: They want me to guess what they are thinking and I have my own ideas. I don’t like teacher’s “Guess what I’m thinking” game. They don’t want to listen to my ideas, I don’t say a word.
Student 1: Give me a concrete example…
Student 2: They ask “what should we have done” instead of “what could we have done” so they already have their idea…they are just pretending to be interested in our ideas.
Student 1: Ah, like yesterday on TV, they wanted audience opinion but the question was “don’t you think we have a moral responsibility to…?” Seriously, they should ask “what are the pros and cons...”
Student 1:I was surprised that “Stress Management” was the first theme the class chose to study
Student 2: I thought it was a good choice. The relaxing techniques have helped me a lot. Don’t you feel stressed by coming to school?
Student 1: Yesterday I got so mad. I could use the deep breathing technique but I just stopped breathing…I tried to kill myself but unfortunately here I am (laugh). M1 (a classmate) had asked my help so I hadn’t read the text when the discussion began. I tried hard to understand what was going on…I was lost. Nothing was making sense. I was so irritated that I could not face the teacher so I turned to the side and I saw the phrase “Just do it!” on the side black board. That is what I need: a black board to understand me (laugh)
a) mark in red, please
Student 1: Wow, it is all marked in red! I would give up if I were you
Student 2: She said she would usually not be so picky. It is a special treat. As an immigrant she is helping me out. This way I study ESL while learning the class subject.
b) no choices, please
"I want to know exactly what is due today, if I am not told I have more urgent interests…I am like married style guy, I don’t want to think (laugh). Just give me clear instructions. I don't want to choose between fancy coffees...just bring me a regular coffee" (a student who runs between part time jobs and school)
"I don’t like to be asked to choose. I like when I know what to do. What? Teachers don’t do their homework and expect me to plan for their class?! I do not have patience" (student whose boss has given him time off to study)
c) no lies, please
"…So according to the ABSOLUTE QUALIFIERS rule…if I say I never lie, I am a liar!? It is bullshit. I refuse to learn this! I don’t want to learn how to cheat on tests..I am a person of principles" (a student who was facing a difficult divorce in court)
d) caps, please
"...caps are not always for gangs. I hate that. People say things they don’t know. Doesn’t matter I don’t mind missing school if I feel like wearing a cap… Do you think my hair is always like this? If I am having a bad hair day I skip class. No cap, no class."(this student’s hair hides a facial scar which she got in a fight with bottle)
e) no group work with people with accents, please
I used to call you Chink...Oh dear! You keep coming...the first time you walk to our group…Oh dear! Nobody believed how irritated I got. You don’t know but chink is very disrespectful, like N word for blacks. I want you to know, I am not like that at all...back in my home town, we were all white and people used to tease the only Chinese family, owners of theTeacher: This reminds me about what I wrote “the learner resistance is not something to fear or ignore but to examine and face, this resistance is a process of student transformation in their own empowerment
Student 1: Cool, you did the schedules you told me you were not going to do
Student2 : I like this teacher I was afraid to write down that I mostly go to parties and sleep. I am glad I did. She said I should slow down on parties…respecting me though
Student 1: ?
Student 2: She could just come over with “Don’t you have responsibility?” and accuse me deciding to go party the night before the test. She asked me what would be the pros and cons of continuing with my past schedule.
