...if you got in trouble last week for PASSING A NOTE IN CLASS.
Wait, nope. No, that's not okay.
Last I checked, I tie my own shoes, I set my own bedtime and I use the potty all by myself.
Never mind the fact that at least two other students in that class had Facebook pulled up on their laptops. Never mind the fact that people (who are not me) talk over this professor constantly. Never mind the fact that I am in graduate school, I'm 26 years old and I transitioned from my training bra a long, long time ago.
Here's what happened.
My professor was asking the class about their individual experiences with a project that requires each person to give something up. I commented on my struggle to give up refined sugars for the last 4 weeks.
After I shared my own thoughts, the girl next to me wrote on a piece of paper that I should try sugar-free chocolate pudding. I wrote back, thanking her for the suggestion and that I hadn't thought of that.
Sexy stuff, right?
There was no attempt to cover up this note-passing. We simply pushed it back and forth between us, jotting down a quick thought and going back to listening. The whole thing lasted all of 3 minutes.
My professor, rather than saying, "Hey, can you guys knock that off?" (to which I actually would've responded really well), stopped talking, walked over to us, put her hand on the piece of paper and slid it away from us with this knowing smile, like she had just caught us trying really hard to be sneaky.
I attempted to explain myself. "That's actually relevant to what we're discussing."
She smiled again and rested the piece of paper on the desk in front of her. "It's distracting."
"I'm sorry. I thought it might be less distracting than me just chatting with her," I tried again.
She smiled, said nothing and went on with the rest of class.
This professor is actually a very nice person. That doesn't mean my ass wasn't twitching through the rest of class.
In all fairness, one could argue that if I'm such a grownup, I wouldn't be passing notes in the first place and could control myself long enough to talk to my peer after class.
One could also argue that if I am really a grownup, chances are the note I'm passing, and making no attempt to hide, probably doesn't say, "OMG! She's so boring! What are you doing after class? I like boys! REBELLION!!!"
"But Sara," you say. "You're missing the point. It wasn't the content of the note to which your poor professor objected. It was the manner in which you conveyed that content. Have you learned nothing?"
Point taken. And yes, I have learned something. I will no longer pass notes in class.
I'll just text like everyone else.
16 comments:
I'm not sure whether that's hilarious or really really sad.
For the professor mostly, because seriously? What is the point of picking on the student who is ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN THE CLASS? Clearly it was NOT distracting you.
But also kind of hilarious because, come on. I'm surprised she didn't give you detention. =)
I will certainly discuss this with your teacher at grad student parent conference night.
Huh. What an interesting story . . . The whole thing is curious.
Also, I wish we went to the same school. That'd be fun.
Well you summed up my thoughts, f'it just text like everyone else!
i'm surprised she didn't call your parents. and honestly, she's not embarrassed by this situation?!?! thinking she's super stealth to catch some note passing. shameful.
and hilarious.
And that's why I don't allow computers OR cell phones in my class. I am the alpha bitch when I'm at the front of the room. But I probably would have just laughed at your note - nothing earth shattering in it.
Oh my gosh, they do that in college? I've been out of school for way too long because it seems like something that would happen in grade school!
To clarify, not the note passing, but the teacher's response!
It would have been even better if the prof read it out loud in a really scandalous voice!
Here's the thing: everybody does it. Even adults.
In corporate jobs.
I love that you got busted, but I think that professor has a chip on her shoulder. WAY overboard.
Now I think you should tempt the situation to happen again, but this time have "I heart boys" written.
You should totally pass a note next class that says something crazy and shocking, like your entire family was just arrested for housing a meth lab, or you're planning to steal a car after class. At least that'll make a far more interesting class interruption!
She was probably paranoid you were writing mean messages about her.
I probably would have died of embarrassment, though. I do NOT like being scolded.
I'm a little jealous of how some of your classmates had facebook up on their computers. B/c I'm OLD. And even though every student at my college had laptops as part of some technology initiative in the 90s, the coolest thing we could do on ours during class was to play solitaire.
This *is* college right??? Grad school????
WTH is wrong with this professor??? I'm totally taking your immature side on this one.
"I'm sorry. I thought it might be less distracting than me just chatting with her".....Score 1 for Sara! Excellent point there sweetheart!
I'd have been so embarrassed. I hate being called out in front of people.
But really. It's just a NOTE. Your professor needs to chill.
Grad school: the awesome place where childhood and adult beverages meet.
Sometimes with poor results, but still...
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