I take attendance by having students answer a question.
What social convention baffles you? (previously I've asked this but don't seem to have blogged it)
Some responses were understandably baffling IMHO:
- not putting elbows on table. why??
- jaywalking >:(
- why do people do absolutely stupid dares?
- starting school at 8:30am
- pretending to work 8 hours a day 5 days a week
Others were for pretty reasonable social conventions that (I hope) students actually do understand, they just... choose not to participate in... I guess?
- small talk
- lying
- washing hands after using the restroom
- sleeping
- a lot of things, saying bless you? "thoughts & prayers"...
- TikTok
- most things young people do. Also, eating cereal as a meal. It's literally like eating chips as sustenance.
- using chopsticks to eat chips, ice cream, etc.
- talking to strangers
Many students just outright want to be socially bizarre and asocial/prosocial in unusual ways. I get it. They're all great. I enjoy being in a community that intentionally accepts students who tend this way, and cultivates their eccentricities. College is fantastic and I'm extremely lucky that I never have to leave it.
- social cues
- socializing
- quiet floors at Swat libraries
- Swarthmore misery poker
- asking "how are you" and always responding with "good, you?"
- saying "how r u?" and not finishing interaction
- socializing with people you don't like
- pretending to GAF
- "You should go outside once in awhile"
This casts a pretty dark look at the mindset of students in my class. But more unusual and weird is what emerges from my favorites:
- walking using two legs
- everything
- all of them I was raised in a barn
- feudalism
... students are wonderful, unique balls of curious accumulated behaviors and thoughts and they are utterly, utterly fascinating. And apparently one was raised in a barn.
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