I remember teaching in the chemistry lab in college, don’t ask
why or how I ended up teaching a subject I know nothing about. It is one of the perversities of my life that
I always end up doing stuff that I am in no way trained to do. Anyway, the class was about using a
centrifuge and understanding how it worked and following basic safety
rules. So in a class about twenty I
brought up students in pairs and explained how the centrifuge worked. Showing them all the switches, how to lift
the lid and put in samples in small tubes, balance them, then close the lid, lock
it and turn it on. When they turned it
off I pointed out they needed to wait until the spinning had stopped completely
before opening the device. After nine
pairs I was becoming bored with the same spiel.
Repeating the exact same words and actions again and again! However, I had noticed that all the students
were most nervous when opening the lid after the centrifuge had been
spinning. So for the last pair I waited
until they reached in to open the lid and then screamed at the top of my
voice. The poor guy nearest to me nearly
passed out. He slumped against the bench
and turned very pale. I know, I know it
was unforgiveable. There was a shocked
silence in the class and disbelief at what I had done. There is no excuse for what I did, none. I could
have easily given someone a heart attack.
I don’t know what is wrong with me when I get bored there is a Jekyll
and Hyde factor that takes over. I have
long said, to whoever will listen, I am not a fit person to be with young
people.
There’ s a memory of being at school myself, so completely
bored with the class that I remember thinking that an earthquake or alien
invasion would really be preferable to this.
To this day whenever I see a line of school kids in uniform there is an
uncontrollable emotion of delight that I no longer have to endure a class of
any sort combined with a cruel thought of “suckers”!
