I did what?
So, the cosmos works this way some times: today was both my posting day for sncross_bigbang (yay for being on the first day!), and the day that all of my term papers came due. So right now, I'm just kind of limp, and I somehow managed to lose all three lighters I took to campus today, but all is well. Apparently today was what I've been working for over the last five months, and yeah, get me a nap and a beer and then I shall be properly giddy.
In the meantime, Fun With Students. I call this episode, "Socrates didn't tell me there'd be days like this, days like this"
Me: The English colonists were a little bit obsessed with land, especially when compared to the colonists from France. ::Looks at student:: Can you think of a reason why the English would, as a culture in general, be more obsessed with land than people from a place like France? ::Beholds vacant look:: Or Germany? ::Vacant look isn't moving, so I give up hope of getting an explanation of the enclosure movement:: Okay, how's about this - geographically speaking, what is Britain - or England? (The subtleties of that distinction are something we'll get to... oh, probably never, so I'll take either for now.)
Student: ::Tilts head. No really, she tilted her head:: Uh, what do you mean?
Me: ::Smiling in a totally patient and non-threatening way:: I mean, if I showed you a map of England, what's the first thing that you would you say about it?
Student: ::Pulls her lips to one side and looks down, and oh God, I know where this is going:: I, uh, I don't really know what England looks like.
Me: ::Blinks, like an idiot, even though I knew where this was headed the second she gave me the head tilt:: Okay, okay, let's do it then. ::Turns laptop screen to student:: Here it is, England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. So what would you call England?
Student: ::Leans in, stares as lousy map image for about fifteen seconds while I nearly pinch through skin controlling my temptation to snark:: Uh. ::Looks again:: England, is, uh, surrounded by water?
Yes, that's right. It's surrounded by water.
In the meantime, Fun With Students. I call this episode, "Socrates didn't tell me there'd be days like this, days like this"
Me: The English colonists were a little bit obsessed with land, especially when compared to the colonists from France. ::Looks at student:: Can you think of a reason why the English would, as a culture in general, be more obsessed with land than people from a place like France? ::Beholds vacant look:: Or Germany? ::Vacant look isn't moving, so I give up hope of getting an explanation of the enclosure movement:: Okay, how's about this - geographically speaking, what is Britain - or England? (The subtleties of that distinction are something we'll get to... oh, probably never, so I'll take either for now.)
Student: ::Tilts head. No really, she tilted her head:: Uh, what do you mean?
Me: ::Smiling in a totally patient and non-threatening way:: I mean, if I showed you a map of England, what's the first thing that you would you say about it?
Student: ::Pulls her lips to one side and looks down, and oh God, I know where this is going:: I, uh, I don't really know what England looks like.
Me: ::Blinks, like an idiot, even though I knew where this was headed the second she gave me the head tilt:: Okay, okay, let's do it then. ::Turns laptop screen to student:: Here it is, England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. So what would you call England?
Student: ::Leans in, stares as lousy map image for about fifteen seconds while I nearly pinch through skin controlling my temptation to snark:: Uh. ::Looks again:: England, is, uh, surrounded by water?
Yes, that's right. It's surrounded by water.