Upper English METIC Actually Features Minimal Complaining
METICs usually fall into one of three categories: the first is a series of criticisms of the teacher, which really stem from dissatisfaction with grades, the second involves excusing the class’s struggles on the inadequacies of the material, and the third is essentially a revolt in which the Harkness warriors get ragged on by the rest of the class. The one commonality is complaining.
But yesterday, in an upper English class of all places (uppers being naturally grouchy and English class being the ideal breeding ground for grouchiness), an entire group of students passed on the nearly obligatory opportunity to flex their griping muscles.
“I mean, class isn’t perfect: the reading is beyond us, not everyone speaks exactly seven times, and we only do the homework about half the time, but then we realized that that’s par for the course for an Exeter class, and doing any better would be expecting A LOT,” said a member of the class from Hoyt.
A classmate in Webster concurred. “Yeah, I could’ve just done what most people do during METICs, and said something vague about ‘airtime’ or ‘discussion balance,’ while looking passive-aggressively toward the more outspoken kids, but let’s be honest: that means I’d have to talk more.”
The class didn’t even follow the conventional METIC structure, which includes making three lists, with titles that often read something like “Things we do well,” “Things we can improve on (euphemism for what makes the class insufferable),” and “What we are going to do.”
Explained a Day Student member of the class, “Why just have the same kid, who’s been ‘the scribe’ since prep year go up and write the teacher’s name under the ‘doing well’ list, and that we should ‘start in small groups’ or ‘write things on the board at the start of class’ like we always do? That stuff isn’t even that helpful. and what is with this ritual of sitting for five minutes after we’re done before getting the teacher? Someone has to stop him from coming back irritated because he lost Angry Birds again.”
All the students in the class have been admitted to the Heath Center to have their mental well-being assessed. Please forward any information regarding other rebellious classes to J. Smith.