This semester I've been starting each class off with a roll call. It's not to see who's there (since I have a grand total of 35 students split among two classes, it's pretty easy to see who's missing at a glance). Instead I use it as sort of a rapport-building exercise. Each day I ask a different question, and everyone answers the questions. I've asked a few boring ones, like "Where were you born?" or "Where are you from?" But for the most part I've been trying to ask questions that yield interesting answers, like "If you had a superpower, what would you choose?" or "When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?" (which yielded a fair number of teachers, since they are all prospective elementary teachers, but also an ambassador, an accountant, a maid, and a Denny's waitress/ballerina).
On Wednesday, I asked my class an age-old question: If your house (or apartment in most of their cases) was on fire, and you could rescue just one thing, what would it be?The first student said, "I'd take my laptop, because it has everything on it."
"Yeah," said the next student. "I'd take my laptop too." I realized then that this particular question was a lot more interesting ten years ago before everyone had laptops, and especially laptops that stored photos, music, journals, and financial information. So I made a new rule. "Everyone can bring their laptop," I said. "And you're allowed to bring one other item. What would it be?"
The next student looked thoughtful and started to say something, and then looked sort of downcast and said, resignedly, "Oh. I'd bring my scriptures."
Collective groan from the class. Ah, BYU.
"Okay," I said. "Everyone gets to bring their laptop and their scriptures and something else." And then the answers got much more interesting - family heirlooms and Kitchen Aid mixers and paintings and husbands.
When it was my turn (because I always have to answer the questions too - it's only fair), I said I would take my dog. But it felt like kind of a cheat because it wasn't really a choice. I can't not rescue Jin from a burning building if I have the chance. I've given it some more thought between the class question and this blog entry, and I have decided that Jin can, and probably would, rescue himself and I'm allowed to take one other item. And so the item I would take is my duvet.
This is partly because it's practical. If I'm running from a burning building, I might be sitting outside in the cold for awhile watching the building burn. A duvet would be an awfully nice thing to have wrapped around me. But I also love my duvet.
You should know that in the original version of this blog entry, what followed was a section equal in length to what preceded on the genius of the duvet, and why my life has changed since I switched out my American bedding for the northern European solution. But unfortunately, I have found duvets to be a surprisingly confusing and divisive issue for most people. So as not to alienate my readers, I made myself go back and delete that entire section. However, I will direct you to the Wikipedia entry in order to disabuse you of the notion that a duvet is simply a comforter. It's not. If you would like to know more, I'm very happy to have that conversation with you at some point in the future.
The real reason I'm writing this post is not to spread the gospel of the duvet, but because my students and I are having a lot of fun with these questions, and I thought I would put the idea out there to my blog readers. First, I'm looking for more question ideas. After all, I have an entire semester ahead of me, and since I'm trying to ask different questions in each of my two sections I need about 40 more questions in my question bank. I already have a number of ideas, but what would you ask? And just for fun, what would you bring if you could take one thing (and your laptop and your scriptures and any pets) from your burning domicile?
7 comments:
Your class must be so interesting!
My house caught on fire a few years ago (thankfully everything was fine...except the guest room, but that's okay) and OFTEN think of what I would take out if it caught on fire again. I might have to grab my jewelry box since it has a lot of treasured things I inherited from my grandmother who died (is that a cheat taking an item that holds a lot of items? Too bad!)
I also spend a good portion of time wondering how I would get my fantastic bed out of a burning house. Priorities (o:
I like to ask, "What time did you go to bed last night?" You learn a lot about people!
And I'd take a bottle of unisom...because it'll be hard for me to sleep at a YMCA or even a hotel after my house burns down!
I would take my teddy bear and Garth says he would take Scout (which is fair because he is so little and probably wouldn't escape on his own!).
Last year when Mom and Dad had to evacuate I was calling them every half hour with something of mine to save. Now it's all here, so I might have a hard time getting out of the house : )
Kelsey
What kind of weather are you right now? (A really good mood check for the day.)
Gray Bear is definitely coming with me. Everything else can be replaced, even Marshallese handicrafts.
Like I said, when my apartment caught on fire, I grabbed my shoes and my coat... It would have been nice to grab the car keys, but such is life. And I had no idea about the difference between duvet covers and comforters.
As for ice breakers: tell the story behind one of your scars. Or What is the weirdest thing that you have eaten? Or What person alive or dead would you most want to have dinner with?
I used to think that my computer pretty much had everything of real importance on it. But, having had to evacuate three times last year during the big California fires, it was surprising how much is really important. Paintings on the wall by dad's grandfather, scrapbook items, art projects, albums of family letters, etc. We filled up two cars with "emergency" rescues. Of course, dad grabbed all the skis and bicycles which made our neighbor across the street laugh! So to choose one beyond the computer?--Wow!
"What would you most like to do if you had one afternoon of complete, uninterrupted free time?"
Here is some ice breaker questions:
- If you were a canned vegetable, which would you be?
- What color is your toothbrush and why did you choose that color?
Duvets rock! Thanks to IKEA for inadvertently setting me down that path!
As to the fire question, assuming that my cell phone was in my pocket, I'd probably grab my magic box. That way I could keep watching Dr. Who while I looked for a new place.
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