Thursday, July 9, 2015

Public Conversation


It is again #ThrowbackThursday. This one is from November 28, 2011. I know I chime in on student conversations all the time. But they don't always want me to... 

School is back in session after the Thanksgiving break. Today I covered a middle school art class.

Third period. Two girls were having a conversation about Thanksgiving and what they ate. Then one of the girls mentioned that her excesses gave her constipation.

A boy chimed in with, "Ewww!"

The girls turned on him: "Why are you listening to our conversation?"

It might be because you're talking across the room. Maybe?

One girl was seated at the front of the room. The other girl sat in the back. At one point they attempted to sit next to one another, but I put the kibosh on that. (I find that if I enforce the seating chart, I have fewer problems.) So, they had their conversation anyway.

I pointed out the obvious. They changed topics.

Did this stop the conversation? No, of course not. (At least they got their assignment done.)

23 comments:

  1. Why would anyone want to say that in public?

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  2. I think it is wise that you stick to the seating charts; apparently the teachers know who to avoid having sit in close proximity to each other.

    betty

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    1. And usually that curbs the random talking, but not always.

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  3. It's pretty hard not to hear something when it's being talked about across a room!

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  4. I shudder to think what her conversation would be like if she was the opposite (the runs)

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  5. Some kids are so nervy, talking like that to a teacher, even if listening. Not to mention they were talking across the room. Hang in there.

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    1. They didn't say that to me. They pounced on the boy who reacted to their topic. I don't recall them being too terrible to me.

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  6. Bet they were yr 9 girls. Nothing quite like 'em.

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    1. This was a middle school class, so they were 12 or 13 years old. I don't recall which grade this was.

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  7. I would have thought eating to excess would have the opposite effect!

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  8. Very hard to get girls to stop talking!

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  9. This is so funny! I can just hear them.

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  10. All I can do is shake my head! Are kids learning anything at all about manners and what should and should not be talked about in public???

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    1. In this case, I'm pretty sure this was about those specific girls and not kids in general. I have a feeling that if we met their mothers, we would hear similar things at a similar volume in similar circumstances.

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  11. You can't really blame the kid who complained. Some people just have no concept of not oversharing.

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    1. I know. That's why I defended his right to chime in when he did.

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  12. Yeesh, some people really don't know when to stop talking!

    I used to work in a shop and got used to seeing the same people fairly frequently. One day this woman came in and said 'I've not been in for a while, I bet you were wondering where I've been'. I hadn't but I made conversation.

    The reason she hadn't been in? 'I've not been well.' I told her I was sorry to hear that and that I hoped she was feeling better now. Her reply, 'I've been terribly constipated'.

    Well that was just a little too much information. And also made me picture her not coming to the shops because she'd just spent all that time in the bathroom.

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    1. Some people just want to let everyone know their business. I don't get that, but I do see it all the time.

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  13. I, along with various patrons have heard, even more embarrassing conversations. Usually just as half of a cellphone conversation.

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I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.