student: I know you don’t like my music
teacher: Stop reading my blog posts.
student: Is that a joke?
teacher: Maybe.
student: Why don’t you don’t like it?
teacher: I never said I don’t like your music.
student: Do you or don’t you?
teacher: The class isn’t about me liking or not liking your music.
student: C’mon what do you think?
teacher: I like your capacity to listen selectively.
student: Could you speak English.
teacher: When did this paranoia start?
student: When you gave Britney and Aaron an A and me a C.
teacher: Right.
student: Well.
teacher: You handed that assignment in late and you missed a few classes. That affects your mark.
(Door opens, Britney enters)
britney: Hi, excuse the interruption just wanted to say thanks for the A, glad you like my music.
teacher: Your mark isn’t because I liked your music. Marks reflect the job of being students. Like maybe you would be the best Prime Minister but you don’t get the job just because you think you are perfect for it.
student: I don’t want to be the Prime Minister.
teacher: But do you get my point. You have to attend meetings with people and listen to them and discuss ideas and join committees blah blah blah. Maybe later you get voted in but it’s a job, there’s things to do to prove it.
britney: Am I interrupting something?
teacher: I’m just saying making music and being a music student are different things. Britney got the mark she got because of showing up, doing the work and doing it well. It isn’t about me liking her music per se.
britney: Why don’t you like my music?
teacher: I didn’t say that.
student: You think I would be a good Prime Minister.
teacher: Could you handle it if people didn’t say you were a great Prime Minister?
britney: What are you guys on?
teacher: We’re talking about marking and being marked.
student: And that a teacher should like the music by their students.
teacher: It’s just art, it’s just taste. Maybe you don’t like my car but I can show you how to drive or how to change a headlight. It doesn’t matter what you think of the colour of it.
britney: (tip toes out) I’m going to find Aaron, getting a little too weird, bye.
student: You think music is like a car?
teacher: In a way.
student: You think a person shouldn’t care what people think of them?
teacher: Yes.
student: You mean you never cared what people thought of you?
teacher: Yes I did and yes I still might but it’s a distraction, that’s why I’m telling you not to go in that direction. Trying to save you from wasting time.
student: But you care what I think right now.
teacher: Good point.
student: Isn’t that hypocritical?
teacher: “To everything turn turn turn” – you ever hear the Byrds.?
student: “The eraser’s here to twist your mind” – you ever hear Hypocrisy?
teacher: “Well you seem so clever that’s hard to believe. You’re completely self-deluded, that’s hard to achieve – you ever hear of Geoff Berner?
student: F.U.C.K. Y.A., F.U.C.K.Y.A. eff you see kay why eh – you ever hear Mclean and Mclean?
teacher: How does someone born in the 90s know Mclean and Mclean?
student: How does someone who can’t read music hold a job teaching it?
teacher: How does someone who is just a composite of other students appear to be one?
student: I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.
teacher: I never made sense of that before.
student: Your welcome. Change my mark.