EMOTIONAL JUDO

When it comes to challenging groups of students, I've developed a skill that keeps them learning and keeps me sane. It's an emotional Judo of sorts. A defense mechanism where I use my opponent’s strength against them without them knowing and, more importantly, without absorbing any hits myself.

I have a group this term that other instructors actively warned me about. You know, keep a close eye them. Don't give them an inch, etc. But I've had them for about three weeks now and I actually quite like them. Sure they're immature, but they're kind of cute about it.

Yesterday, we were talking about human population growth. So I asked the aforementioned students to come up with some examples of medical technology that maybe helped the human population expand. This guy D said, "Umm, well, when a chick, you know, wants to have a kid but she can't, because whatever, she might go to the doctor and take a drug or something..." Of course I knew he was talking about fertility drugs, but instead I shook my head and said, "D, we're not talking about chickens, here. We're talking about human population growth." He replied, "Oh well, you know what I meant, a girl." I shook my head again and said, "No D, I'm sorry. I don't know what you mean because I don't speak 'Dude.'"

Which is a lie.

I'm actually quite fluent in Dude, but I like to keep it under my hat.