The wisdom of seventh graders: Contributions to class discussion

Date:August 31, 2006 / year-entry #297
Tags:non-computer;the-wisdom-of-seventh-graders
Orig Link:https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20060831-37/?p=29893
Comments:    5
Summary:(In the continuing sporadic series on the wisdom of seventh grade students.) My friend the seventh grade teacher once had to deal with a class that had gotten out of hand by assigning the students a short essay in which they had to address three questions: How am I contributing to class? How am I...

(In the continuing sporadic series on the wisdom of seventh grade students.)

My friend the seventh grade teacher once had to deal with a class that had gotten out of hand by assigning the students a short essay in which they had to address three questions:

  • How am I contributing to class?
  • How am I detracting from class?
  • How can I contribute more while detracting less?

One of the more disruptive students answered the questions thus:

  • How am I contributing to class?
    "I tell jokes."
  • How am I detracting from class?
    "Sometimes I talk out of turn."
  • How can I contribute more while detracting less?
    "Tell better jokes."

Comments (5)
  1. You know, two of the best Project Managers I’ve ever worked with on software projects spent a few years each as middle school teachers.  It’s not an accident.  The skill set has a huge overlap. :)

  2. Puckdropper says:

    You mean an uncanny ability to describe hard work as "fun?"

  3. JenK says:

    I’ve always thought that working 5 years in a day care center was great preparation for tech support. And for being a manager at Msft…

  4. James Day says:

    The teacher should have read your blog posts on asking specific enough questions. :)

  5. Pointdexter says:

    The student receives 1/2 credit for understanding that telling better jokes will indeed contribute more, but that he would detract less if he contributed fewer.  

Comments are closed.


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