What to do with your arms
What do I do with my arms?
Although I do ponder this question in general, I've been thinking lots about what to do with my arms specifically when I'm teaching. There's only so many things you can do with them, you see. Also, if you happen not to frequently double-fist globes and textbooks when you are teaching, you have to constantly be thinking about your next 'arm move.'
For people who think a lot about their arms, a situation like the one above, is ideal. Unfortunately, without two large objects to hold in my hands, I basically forget how humans tend to use their arms, and end up doing stuff like this:
Distracting flourishes
Using my entire hand to point at something instead of a finger.
One Arm hangs limply like a sun-drunk, water-logged swimming noodle, although other arm is happily holding up a large textbook.
Unfortunately, as you can see, even when I am holding something in ONE hand, the other hand and arm are otherwise unoccupied, and therefore up to no good! And that's when I'm in a professional photo shoot! Just imagine my normal days.
Teachers, and other humans: What do YOU do with your arms and hands?
This all brings me to teacher brain. People talk about mom brain (although never dad brain becuz patriarchy) and I talk about teacher brain, right now. What is your teacher brain like? Where does all your thinking power go to?
Usually for me, it's something like this:
18% Next Arm Move
18% F*** I forgot her name
5% Oops, have to go to the next slide
13% Where R my handouts
5% What am I doing again?
10% Stop looking at me
5% I can't believe he is online shopping during class
10% Making Sense When I speak Words
5% How much Time is Left/What Time is it
10% Imparting Knowledge to Future Generations
I'm trying to balance myself out more and I sincerely look forward to the day when "Next Arm Move" takes up a smaller cognitive load than "Imparting Knowledge."
In other arms-related news, I just realized recently that I have received three hugs in China so far, and they have all been from 12 year old students. This is part story and part warning/explanation for why I won't let you go the next time we hug.
Although I do ponder this question in general, I've been thinking lots about what to do with my arms specifically when I'm teaching. There's only so many things you can do with them, you see. Also, if you happen not to frequently double-fist globes and textbooks when you are teaching, you have to constantly be thinking about your next 'arm move.'
For people who think a lot about their arms, a situation like the one above, is ideal. Unfortunately, without two large objects to hold in my hands, I basically forget how humans tend to use their arms, and end up doing stuff like this:
Distracting flourishes
Teachers, and other humans: What do YOU do with your arms and hands?
This all brings me to teacher brain. People talk about mom brain (although never dad brain becuz patriarchy) and I talk about teacher brain, right now. What is your teacher brain like? Where does all your thinking power go to?
Usually for me, it's something like this:
18% Next Arm Move
18% F*** I forgot her name
5% Oops, have to go to the next slide
13% Where R my handouts
5% What am I doing again?
10% Stop looking at me
5% I can't believe he is online shopping during class
10% Making Sense When I speak Words
5% How much Time is Left/What Time is it
10% Imparting Knowledge to Future Generations
I'm trying to balance myself out more and I sincerely look forward to the day when "Next Arm Move" takes up a smaller cognitive load than "Imparting Knowledge."
In other arms-related news, I just realized recently that I have received three hugs in China so far, and they have all been from 12 year old students. This is part story and part warning/explanation for why I won't let you go the next time we hug.
"10% Stop looking at me" my favorite lololol
ReplyDeleteArms are for hugging!
ReplyDeletethat they are!
DeleteI mean I cannot be certain what I am ever doing with my arms while teaching or the breakdown of my teacher brain on any given day but I think 10% imparting knowledge to future generations is pretty darn good. I think I would have to add to your list like 10% of my time is "why are you wandering aimlessly around my classroom right now?" followed by a good 20% of the time where I am just the bearer of passes for children to do any number of things (locker, bathroom, library, etc.) outside of my room while not learning math. Education is a joy.
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes 'aimless classroom wandering' and 'wondering if my students can tell I am aimlessly wandering the class or if I look legit' occupies my teacher brain too.
ReplyDelete