Whoever said those who can't do, teach --- must have been a guy who had no education.
I have been there and done that.
After 25+ years as a software developer/engineer I have had it. I work for myself as a consultant. The pay is good but I am now tired of programming. I mean I am really tired of it. I want to share and handover some ideas to kids out there. Teaching is a lot of fun but lots of admin work too.
I still have consulting work but I like to tone it down. I like to interact with people now, not with machines. So this semester I am teaching for two regional universities who have their presence in my city. Universities are discovering there is money to be made from foreign students. So even if they are from out of town they look for city partners which can give them access to big cities like mine, where the people are and where foreign students would rather settle. So in my classes, I kid you not, all of my students are foreigners, majority from East Asian origins.
So today I had a long day lecturing. One of my students sat in the corner. I allowed him to listen from time to time as he played with his drink bottle and some paper envelopes.
When it was time to go home the students said good bye and he passed by my desk. As he walked away - he showed me his drink bottle wrapped in envelopes. As he exited the class room, he said - "look sir, I made a bomb", then he walked off. His name is Muhammad.
10 comments:
Well...if the name fits...
Steve,
The student left before I could say - it is not funny.
LPC
One might consider turning that "jokester" into the authorities.
D.C.
I am considering that and will be consulting my dept head next week.
LPC
My wife had a similar experience in an elevator at a university where she was studying a couple of years ago. The comment was made in Urdu, but unbeknownst to the 'joker' my wife is a Hindi speaker who has just enough Urdu to understand what was said. Was it a joke? I urged her to report it. What sort of mind even finds these things funny?
Lito,
Another thought, by all means follow the advice of your dept head, but it might also pay to reach out to this fellow. He may be feeling alienated in this very foreign country. Such alienation is often, as I understand it, a precursor to radicalisation as the sufferer seeks consolation from his own at a mosque, where they are easy fodder for radicals to exploit.
Pr. M,
I thought of that as well. I plan to speak to him privately and see why he said that joke. He is quite bright in class and he participates well that is why I allowed him to play with his stuff. He was not disrupting the class and engaging as well.
LPC
May the Triune God bless your effort to reach out to him!
Thanks Pr. Mark, I will need God's blessing and wisdom.
LPC
Just an update. I head and I dealt with Muhammad for his joke. He said it was not in good taste and apologised to the head.
He was encouraged to get counselling if he feels single out in the community.
LPC
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