more dynamics of crowd theory...

I will forever be befuddled by classes who seem to be of one mind to an almost uncanny degree. I've written about this before and doubtless I will again. You have one class that is completely disengaged or completely motivated or completely lame or completely responsible, or, more often, you have a couple which have any number of separate personality traits usually attributed to single individuals but which, in the classroom, seem to take over an entire group. This even when individual students from the lame, apathetic class, for example, seem diametrically different when they are on their own in office hours or whatever. I've even had students tell me that they notice it on their end and have found themselves under the spell of a certain class dynamic, and powerless to resist it, even when they do not feel or act that way in other classes or in their lives in general. (I doubt it works the other way; I have yet to see a student who confesses to being brought out of their shell or their apathy or to having their horizons broadened in any way by a class's dynamic - but then again if they are really shy or apathetic or whatever then I guess one on one they would never say such things to me!)

Anyhoo... witness today. Our first real day of class. The percentage of people with books and requisite materials was about average for Day Two of the semester: around 40-60% depending on the class. This left a rather large number of people with no book or anything in front of them and as we jumped into activities in the book at 8am, not a single one made a move to look on with anyone else. After half the first exercise done together with volunteers I switched to calling on individuals and when I got to the first one who had no book, I said, "All of you without books should be looking on with someone. Take a second to scooch up or over so you can share with someone and follow along with the rest of us." This took a few moments and then we're back with No Book Student #1 who takes another moment or two to figure out what we're doing, with my help. A couple of students later and, again, someone with no book, and still not looking on with anyone. I reiterate the looking-on-with-someone process and a couple more people shift around and we proceed.

This happened with two more No Book Students and finally --political correctness and 21st century classroom sensibilities of heaven-forbid-you-point-out-someone's-shortcomings-in-class be damned-- I stopped and just started pointing out every single student (there were another 4 people) who were STILL not looking on with anyone. I singled them out one at a time, "John, move up here with Bryant. Now." and waited for each to move. Then I said, "Anyone who doesn't have their stuff by Monday better automatically get with another student the second they get to class. Likewise if you forget your book any time during the semester I will expect you to be sharing with someone by the time we dig into book exercises. Everyone MUST have materials in front of them. If you don't want to share with people then you need to get your materials ASAP."

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!

Later you could find me in the 10am section. Same beginning-of-class stuff and then we jump into book activities. The very first person not to have a book, I said just to him, "Adam, you should look on with someone." I was tempted to go straight to the lambasting that I had prepared still in my head from the 8am class but for some reason I didn't. No need, anyway. The second I said that to Adam, every other No Book Person in class went ahead and scooched around so they could see with others, without my including anyone else in the directive. I could have kissed them or knitted them all mittens or some such I was so happy.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously, WTF?! Too bad I didn't do psych or soc or something...