© Jeffrey Leaf 1992
All rights reserved
If anyone had ever told me that teaching school would be just like officiating a football game, I would have laughed. But, it's true. It's so true, in fact, it's scary. In my first term in education after 20 years as a Mechanical Engineer, I rely on my 25 years of officiating experience to carry me while I learn the art of teaching.
I survived the first day of class, for instance, strictly on the self-confidence officiating has taught me. Talk about scared! There I was, out in front as they came at me in waves. Five times, twenty- five of them plopped down in front of me, expecting ...something. Unfortunately, I didn't know what. And, I wasn't sure what to give them. The only thing I did know was that, like players in a game, if they sensed I wasn't sure of myself, they would eat me alive. So, like any good official who isn't sure of a call, I faked it. I told them of my grandiose plans for the year and a few other tidbits to kill the period, and then after they left, I breathed again, at least until the next class arrived.
Today, I'm not so scared. This doesn't mean I now know what I'm doing. I do have on paper everything I want to present and accomplish for each class, but I've never tried any of it before. Each day is still a new experience. Another lesson from officiating supports me here. I realize I will make mistakes, many of them. To excel at what I do, I must be critical of those mistakes, analytical of the causes and flexible to make changes in my techniques. I also seek criticism from others. I can not always see my errors. I want to be told what I do wrong so I can improve. This is another example where the classroom is no different than the ball field. The official or the teacher can sit back with a closed mind and remain mediocre, or can continuously fine tune techniques to reach to be the best.
So much for the philosophy, what about just controlling a group of hyper kids? Well, I've developed a style on the field. I try to be loose. I joke with players and coaches whenever I can to try to diffuse tension. I believe in letting them play. I try not to run the game, but let the game run itself as long as it stays within limits. I'd probably call this "sheep dog" control. Point them in the direction you want them to go and let them run. When a lamb strays from the correct path, steer it back to the flock. Without realizing it, I immediately fell into this pattern in the classroom. My goal is for them to learn skills more than facts. To do this, they must try things. I present some information and let them go with it. When they ask questions, rather than just give answers, I ask questions in return to steer them to learn for themselves.
Students, also, are just like athletes. They want to win. They both go to great lengths to get me to give them an advantage. I can take a student and a player with similar styles, put them on split screen TV and you would see the same technique, same psychology, same words, same inflection and same gestures. It's uncanny.
There are a few definite styles of groveling. Most participants are not purely one versus another, but rather they use different styles at different times. One style is the Whiner. This one hopes you'll give in to stop the whining. "Aw, come on, gimme a break." Then, there is the Guilt Tripper. This one's standard lines are, "You're going to take my job away from me with calls like that." or "My parents will kill me if I bring home this grade." Also, there is the Pleader who tries to appeal to your generosity, though there's usually a tinge of guilt thrown in. "Please, just gimme one call." "Please, I'm a nice person, I deserve it." One more is the Intimidator. This one will hit you with an attack to put you on the defensive, then follow-up with a demand. "You %$&#$^&*^ $#^&! Call the foul! If you don't, we'll do something about it!" "You can't give me that grade. If I didn't learn it, you must be a lousy teacher." They never learn that these tactics don't work on me, but its fun to watch them try.
The moral to this is that sports are not separated from the rest of life. Actually, the ball field is an extension of the classroom. We sometimes forget this. It's been a constant learning experience for me, but it is for the children playing the games, too. Where do you think many of them learned the tactics they use in the classroom?
Comments? e-mail jleaf@lan.tjhsst.edu