Confession of a Lazy Student, or What Makes a Happy Teacher
by Zosia Grudzińska
You would hardly believe that the above heading is NOT a provocation. Let me tell you a very short anecdote, actually a rundown on an incident which happened today at school.
There are two protagonists:
Karol, A Conscientious Student, although not markedly gifted, with an aptitude for learning languages;
and An Autonomy-Loving Teacher, occasionally prone to putting form before content… but always well meaning, providing she listens carefully to what is being said to her.
The bell rings, students push their way through the narrow door. Karol stays behind, fidgeting. The Teacher is slightly surprised, as she knows that the class is heading for a biology test (oh, you should meet that teacher, if you want to know what “strict and demanding” is!) and she considers it a great tribute to her teaching prowess that they had actually been trying to learn English for the last forty five minutes. But to willingly stay and talk to her, wasting the last precious minutes – that can only mean some terrible catastrophe!
And a catastrophe it is. Karol approaches and “lays the coffee on the bench” (huh, do all EFL teachers working in Poland know the meaning?). (Maybe “talks turkey” – DF).
- Teacher, I am lazy.
- Huh? – non-committal reply is all I can manage. Actually, I wanted to deny vehemently, but thought better of it….
- Yes, you see – I have read this book for my individual module and now I should write a translation or a summary… but I just can’t face it.
- Which book have you read?
- “The Prince and the Pauper”. I read it, really! But I just can’t force myself to write anything…
I am beginning to see the light. He is fifteen, for goodness’ sake, and he should write a summary of such a well-known book!
- Does that make you lazy?
Confusion in his eyes, but I can feel a shadow of rapport awakening between us.
- No, I guess not… but why…?
- It would be boring for me.
- Yes, that’s it. It is boring.
- I need something from you as proof that you have read the book. But it doesn’t have to be a straightforward summary. What could you write?
A long silence, but his eyeballs move rapidly from left to right. Time for a little BLP analysis – recalling visual stimuli or imagining auditory sensations? Neither. Karol’s face brightens:
- I could write something about how I imagine they were feeling…
Applause. Curtain. End of drama.
Hurray for all Lazy Students!
Ó Zosia Grudzińska 2002