Classroom Environment

In my opinion, a semester-long class at college always ends exactly as it begins. I'm not talking about what you learn, but about how you learn it. How the students interact with each other. How the teacher is going to observe, participate and grade. It's just like trying on a piece of clothing - it's either going to fit or it's not. No amount of finessing is going to change that initial fit.

The first day is always an indicator of how the entire semester's environment is going to go. For me, it happens one of two ways:

1) The students and teacher share a polite relationship. Everyone in class is polite. We ask generalized questions that make us seem as though we care about other people's lives, but we really don't. There's a subtle layer of competition underneath everything. People get close but never too close. There's always a wall in between.

2) The students click. The teacher is friendly and open. In a matter of minutes everybody's chatting like they're old friends - interrupting each other's sentences, welcoming new ideas, collaborating and debating in a full, healthy manner. Students exchange cell phone numbers and email address to keep in touch about upcoming projects.

I've had the pleasure (can I really call it that?) of experiencing both of these for this current semester. I'm looking forward to the classes that are option 2. And option 1? Well, let's just say that one gives me a little more anticipation for Spring Break.