Do Not Burn My School Down (Private)
Jan 31, 2024 5:45:01 GMT -5
Post by Tatalia on Jan 31, 2024 5:45:01 GMT -5
"I know this is your first day teaching," Tatalia began as she headed up the hill alongside Katsandra, "so I'll try to summarize everything you need to know in a few simple rules. I call then these rules the SNIP Rules!"
Oh, good. Acronyms. Acronyms were always useful and never annoying, right?
Tatalia was leading Katsandra toward the Sit Learn Lots Place, which had a much less useful acronym of SLLP. Really, it was just a slurping sound. The overeager goblin headmistress had taken some time to describe the facility at great length to Katsandra. Oh, it had a library, of course it did! And it had a playground, a restroom, attentive students, knowledgeable teachers, and a classroom! Singular! That was probably the first sign that she was talking the place up a bit too much.
As the pair crested the hill, the sorry reality of Tatalia's school became obvious. The site was really just two small buildings that couldn't have housed more than thirty students at one time if they tried, one of which was standing on stilts over the nearby pond with a little bridge leading to the other. The library couldn't have been bigger than a few bookshelves inside the tiny two story building; the playground was a glorified, mostly fenced in dirt area with a wooden play fort, some balls, two swings, and a single set of monkey bars. The restroom was an outside. The students ranged from small children to grown adults of all ages, and none of them looked particularly attentive, let alone studious or educated. And... well, the singular classroom was inside of a building built more like a funnily shaped cabin than an actual place of study. Oh, and the sign post with its name had fallen down.
Anyone from a civilized background would probably have scoffed or laughed at the site of the Sit Learn Lots Place. But to Tatalia, it was a mark of progress for the people of the Marsh Flats. It was an opportunity to imbue the minds of the humble swamp villagers with the ability to make real change in their world.
"Let's start with the first letter! S stands for 'stay calm,'" Tatalia explained as she led her friend down the path toward the school. "This job can be full of little stressors, both from the children and the environment. Teaching isn't easy, after all! So, staying calm is key. Then there's the N, which stands for 'nurture curiosity.' When your students ask questions or show an interest in the topic, encourage them! You want them to be excited about their studies, after all...
"In the same vein, the I in snip stands for 'interactivity!'" The goblin hopped over a sinkhole in the ground as she said that, gesturing for Katsandra to follow. "As you can imagine, different people learn in different ways, and students are no different! So offer them interactive means of learning, giving them hands on experience, guiding them as necessary! And most importantly..."
Tatalia turned about. She stared at Katsandra with a very, very stern expression.
"The P stands for 'Please do not burn my school down,'" Tatalia told Katsandra, her tone deadly serious. "I am telling you now, don't do it. Do not.
"Do you have any questions before I introduce you to your students?" Tatalia asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes and tilting her head to the side as if she hadn't just used the most threatening tone of voice Katsandra had ever heard the goblin speak in before.
Oh, good. Acronyms. Acronyms were always useful and never annoying, right?
Tatalia was leading Katsandra toward the Sit Learn Lots Place, which had a much less useful acronym of SLLP. Really, it was just a slurping sound. The overeager goblin headmistress had taken some time to describe the facility at great length to Katsandra. Oh, it had a library, of course it did! And it had a playground, a restroom, attentive students, knowledgeable teachers, and a classroom! Singular! That was probably the first sign that she was talking the place up a bit too much.
As the pair crested the hill, the sorry reality of Tatalia's school became obvious. The site was really just two small buildings that couldn't have housed more than thirty students at one time if they tried, one of which was standing on stilts over the nearby pond with a little bridge leading to the other. The library couldn't have been bigger than a few bookshelves inside the tiny two story building; the playground was a glorified, mostly fenced in dirt area with a wooden play fort, some balls, two swings, and a single set of monkey bars. The restroom was an outside. The students ranged from small children to grown adults of all ages, and none of them looked particularly attentive, let alone studious or educated. And... well, the singular classroom was inside of a building built more like a funnily shaped cabin than an actual place of study. Oh, and the sign post with its name had fallen down.
Anyone from a civilized background would probably have scoffed or laughed at the site of the Sit Learn Lots Place. But to Tatalia, it was a mark of progress for the people of the Marsh Flats. It was an opportunity to imbue the minds of the humble swamp villagers with the ability to make real change in their world.
"Let's start with the first letter! S stands for 'stay calm,'" Tatalia explained as she led her friend down the path toward the school. "This job can be full of little stressors, both from the children and the environment. Teaching isn't easy, after all! So, staying calm is key. Then there's the N, which stands for 'nurture curiosity.' When your students ask questions or show an interest in the topic, encourage them! You want them to be excited about their studies, after all...
"In the same vein, the I in snip stands for 'interactivity!'" The goblin hopped over a sinkhole in the ground as she said that, gesturing for Katsandra to follow. "As you can imagine, different people learn in different ways, and students are no different! So offer them interactive means of learning, giving them hands on experience, guiding them as necessary! And most importantly..."
Tatalia turned about. She stared at Katsandra with a very, very stern expression.
"The P stands for 'Please do not burn my school down,'" Tatalia told Katsandra, her tone deadly serious. "I am telling you now, don't do it. Do not.
"Do you have any questions before I introduce you to your students?" Tatalia asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes and tilting her head to the side as if she hadn't just used the most threatening tone of voice Katsandra had ever heard the goblin speak in before.