In the first week of classes while we were talking about cultural appropriation and the habit colonizers have of naming other people's stuff after themselves, the class decided that we should name something iconic in London after ourselves. Someone proposed that Big Ben should henceforth be called "Big Maya" and that kind of stuck. Every now and then there'll be a reference to "Big Maya" in someone's homework when I'm grading after a long day to bring me a chuckle.
This particular class has been a delight. They handmade me a Mother's Day card. They quote in loco parentis at me. They've taken to posting candid guerrilla pictures of me on the group chat with entertaining observations. All the graduating students have said how happy they are that their last class is with me.
I was just thinking I was so lucky when--at the very next sightseeing stop--I got yelled at. Talk about jinxes. I was so surprised, I started crying (behind my sunglasses, luckily). I excused myself for a while, reminded myself that I was a Big Maya, that the young person was responding from fear, and that this is part of being in loco parentis too. All good now.
Pic: Long bus tour today to visit Stonehenge (here), Bath, the Cotswolds, and Stratford-upon-Avon.
5 comments:
Your students sound amazing, and now I will always think "Big Maya!" Ugh, it's always upsetting to be yelled at. xo
Sounds like the group has a great esprit de corp (at least most of the time). That's a credit to you for helping create it.
Take care.
What a delightful story about your class and the playful spirit they bring! It’s heartwarming to see how students can create such memorable moments, like renaming Big Ben to "Big Maya." It reminds me of how we celebrate birthdays in Marathi culture, often with a mix of humor and heartfelt wishes. ( https://marathibirthdaywish.com/)
Big Maya! They sound like fun students...most of the time.
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