Ever wonder, during the course of a semester, what your professor is looking at while he’s teaching? Up there at the podium, looking down at notes, flipping through papers? Well, here’s a look behind-the-scenes, at what my podium looks like on a typical day. The necessary supplies for teaching.
1. Mountain Dew – When you’re in front of a classroom, leading a discussion and lecturing for nearly three hours, you will need some energy. You could eat a proper meal before class, maybe bring in a salad or an apple… but that would be foolish. Foolish I say! Mountain Dew. All the way.
2. Neon Star Stickers - I give these out to students who make outstanding points in class. Sure, some students might find this a little strange, considering they are in college and not 3rd grade, but I took this out of the book of Dr. Bill Meiers, one of my favorite professors at Arcadia. You’d be surprised at how happy getting a star makes a student. Not pictured: Scratch & Sniff stickers. I was out.
3. Fudge Stripe Chocolate Cookies – A must for when the students go on break. Because really, nothing lightens up the mood like snack-time. Especially when your professor gets top-of-the-line cookies for break.
4. iPhone – For playing Canabalt during break.
5. Best American Non-Required Reading – Since the sample essays given in the textbook tend to be flat out dull, I choose to dish out exciting, humorous essays and activities, courtesy the Best American Series. From the Essays to the Non-Required Reading books, I always tend to find hilarious and moving pieces to share with the students.
6. Glasses – Because if I actually wore them in class, I wouldn’t look cool.
7. High Fidelity – I encourage my students to bring in examples of ‘good writing’ to share every week. I broke the ice with a passage from my favorite novel. “What came first, the music or the misery?” Sigh. Oh Nick Hornby. You are the man.
8. Lecture – Oh, and let’s not forget the actual lesson. It’s there somewhere, buried under the neon star stickers, cookies, Mountain Dew, and books.
In related news, this semester has been awesome so far.
My debut novel comes out this Fall. You'll be able to download free audiobook podcasts 
You are too funny! I have my blackberry up there, checking my email and texting in between slides on my powerpoint. One day I really do have to sit in on your class.
“Was I listening to pop because I was miserable, or was I miserable because I was listening to pop”
Oh how that movie defines my life, I haven’t read the book yet, but like everything else you suggest I probably will at one point, when I went to buy High Fidelity, I bought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies instead.
Hi Eric!
This is so funny! Thank you for sharing it!
Cheers!
Rudy
I want to sit in on your class one day. If one year you have a really tough class I can come in as a plant playing “Roxy, the troubled student with a chip on her shoulder.” We’ll be butting heads and then one day there’ll be a huge catharsis where you tell me to put the gun down, that life is still worth living, and that through books I don’t have to end up in jail like the rest of my family.
Your students will pay you directly to get into your class.
Semesters are awesome until you make a student cry…
*Cough*