10% of your students will be...

[Jody Holeton]

Dear all,

I have taught for a while and I am looking for other instructors input.

My father has laways told me that in the Marine Corps there is ALWAYS one geek in a squad, one killer, one troublemaker etc.

Looking at my English classes, past karate and judo classes I have found similar trends in having at LEAST one geek, one troublemaker in my classes....


Have other instructors found similar trends in their classes? Are martial arts classes different?

[Rogier]

well there will always be someone or more persons who have a lot of problem with their motor skills and coordination (more so than other students). But real trouble makers or geeks?

Sometimes we do see them but these are the persons that quit after 1 or 2 lessons. Usually real trouble makers are coupled with higher belts, this is done because higher belts will most likely take less of 'shit' from the other person. If they hit you hard.... hit them back harder and they will learn or not come back.

[Shitoryu Dude]

Yeah, we always have one or two it seems. Most of them don't stick it out more than a couple of months, though the ones that do remain usually seem to undergo some sort of metamorphosis over time and loose the total geek aspect.

[Don Cunningham]

So, I suggest you look around at your fellow dojo-mates. If none of them are geeks, guess what? You're the geek!

[Rogier]

oh my god..... Don you're right... I was standing in front of the class this evening and suddenly thought: why are they staring at me...


and then it came to me... they weren't staring at me because I was teaching but they all thought:"hey look at the geek who is trying to teach us something"

but you're right there usually is one or two but normally they quit after a couple of months...

[Don Cunningham]

I am a geek and proud of it!

[Rogier]

I admit that I might be a computer geek.... but I will admit nothing else

[Don Cunningham]

I'm a geek! Say it loud and say it proud!

[KenpoKev]

I have one whole class of trouble makers...25 of them age 9-12

Have you been teaching at my club?

Uncoordinated geeks are one thing, troublemakers are another altogether. If a student is a klutz, we can work with them, if they're willing to try. If the student has an attitude, it usually gets verbally adjusted, and if not changed, they are asked to leave.

Running a volunteer non-profit club, I refuse to put up with obnoxious behavior. Life is too short.

[Jody Holeton]

Dear all,

What I mean by geek is somebody who stands out from the rest of the group OR purposely makes themselves noticed in the group.

IN school I was a geek because I always asked questions from my teachers. NOW as a teacher I realize that when teachers say "Does anyone have any questions?" its not a REAL question for the group (most of the time, MOST people wont raise their HANDS even if they have a question) its a transitional move to go on to other work.

I have a GREAT EXAMPLE!!!!!
Half-naked MONKEY BOY!!
At EMU my old judo coach Frank Gerlitz had this beginners judo class offered as a phys ed course. Easy A class.
Last year we had this kid come to class we called half-naked monkey boy. At EMU, its a third tier college and they take ANYBODY, this kid reflected this. This skinny kid would show up take off his top AND just hand from the back pull-up bars while Frank taught the class. WHen he wasn't playing on the bars half-naked he would try and work with the prettiest girls in class (and would often become aroused from the experience). I had to "drop" the kid one time because he tried to put a leg bar on me!!
I have ALOT MORE stories! Does anyone else have any?
Wasnt Richard Marcinco a self-proclaimed geek?

[Dahlia]

Originally posted by Jody Holeton
NOW as a teacher I realize that when teachers say "Does anyone have any questions?" its not a REAL question for the group (most of the time, MOST people wont raise their HANDS even if they have a question) its a transitional move to go on to other work.

Well, my German teacher usually calls us a lazy bunch of desinterested teens if we don't ask any questions or show any other reaction at the end... I wished someone told him that this question isn't for real...