Boice’s chapter on class incivilities is to me one of the most useful chapters in his book. I’ve learned several things:
1. The CI I experienced during my two semesters of teaching several years ago are common. They didn’t just happen to me because I was a non-native speaker and super nervous. It’s good to know that I was not the lone sufferer.
2. CI can be prevented or reduced by the display of immediacies and positive motivators on the instructor’s part. If I send wrong signals to the students, appearing cold, aloof, arrogant, or negative--when in fact I’m just tense and insecure—they might interpret my behavior as CI and react with their share of CI.
3. The first few days of a semester is very important in setting up the right tone. As Boice aptly puts it, they’re waiting for you to “make the first move.” Be careful, you’re entering a precarious relationship. Once I was given the advice of “be(ing) yourself when you teach,” but that seems far from enough.
4. When CI occur, do not panic. Remain calm, remind yourself to breathe. Here, another advice from Boice comes handy—pause and reflect. So often, quick reactions only worsen bad situations.
5. People are not born a good teacher. It takes years of practice to become one.
I think these are good lessons to learn, and I'm grateful to already have them in mind before I begin teaching; it's nice to be reminded that everyone sometimes encounters problems, and that good teaching takes time.
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