Three minutes
Sep. 15th, 2001 09:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gerbieYesterday all around the world three minutes of silence were held remembering the victims of the tragic disaster in the USA. Several schools decided not to participate, because they expected trouble with some of the Muslim youth. Some of them had come to school waving pictures of Bin Laden earlier that week. What most people, also around here, tend to forget is that these few are the exception. Most Muslims were as shocked as everybody else. Perhaps it is easier to not realise that, it makes it easier to give a face to the enemy. Unfortunately life isn't that easy. I guess that there are as much Christian fundamentalists around the world as there are Muslim fundamentalists. I consider them both equally dangerous.
Back to the three minutes. As I am teaching, I had to announce to my class that I intended on participating at noon. Most of the class knew about it anyway, hadn't expected anything else. Just one girl considered it nonsense. "I don't know anybody there, why should I participate?" As she was one of the students who had been a pain in the back anyway the last couple of weeks, it didn't come as a surprise to me. Plenty of other kids told her of for her attitude, the discussion heated up, and I had to stop it. I told everyone to get to work, we would stop at two minutes to twelve, after the 3 minutes there would be time to discuss.
When walking around the class I noticed the said girl didn't have any books, wasn't doing anything. I am not extremely strict, give a lot of students second (and third) chances, but this time I used to opportunity to leave the class, avoiding another discussion just before the silence. I had to borrow a mobile phone of one of the kids, as I don't wear a watch. I haven't for nine years now and enjoy life without one, time just isn't an important factor for me. Friday I had to though. So using his phone at least I knew what time it was. We were silent for three minutes, even though three of the girls got the giggles in the middle of it and couldn't stop laughing.
The discussion afterwards ended soon, as most of them wanted to leave soon, their lunch break was immediately afterwards. Over all I was moderately satisfied with the day. At least I got to do my bit, most kids seemed impressed, you just can't win 'em all.
Back to the three minutes. As I am teaching, I had to announce to my class that I intended on participating at noon. Most of the class knew about it anyway, hadn't expected anything else. Just one girl considered it nonsense. "I don't know anybody there, why should I participate?" As she was one of the students who had been a pain in the back anyway the last couple of weeks, it didn't come as a surprise to me. Plenty of other kids told her of for her attitude, the discussion heated up, and I had to stop it. I told everyone to get to work, we would stop at two minutes to twelve, after the 3 minutes there would be time to discuss.
When walking around the class I noticed the said girl didn't have any books, wasn't doing anything. I am not extremely strict, give a lot of students second (and third) chances, but this time I used to opportunity to leave the class, avoiding another discussion just before the silence. I had to borrow a mobile phone of one of the kids, as I don't wear a watch. I haven't for nine years now and enjoy life without one, time just isn't an important factor for me. Friday I had to though. So using his phone at least I knew what time it was. We were silent for three minutes, even though three of the girls got the giggles in the middle of it and couldn't stop laughing.
The discussion afterwards ended soon, as most of them wanted to leave soon, their lunch break was immediately afterwards. Over all I was moderately satisfied with the day. At least I got to do my bit, most kids seemed impressed, you just can't win 'em all.
