Lost in decoding: English Course Outline or Assignment?
I entered the classroom last Saturday evening and sat down in my normal seat for the English lecture. A new teacher who we were having for the first time walked in, looked at us seriously, and announced, "Class, by this evening we must be choosing one course representative."
Instantly, nearly eight hands shot up into the air very fast from the students. Every person was wanting to get this special position to be the course rep. After asking many questions to test them, the teacher finally pointed at one boy named Joel and said, "You only will be the course rep for this English class."
Joel was grinning from cheek to cheek and standing tall as the teacher gave him advice as he was leaving the class that evening. Also, the lecturer told him clearly, "Joel, this is your first small assignment to help the class. Use your phone to snap photos of this course outline paper I am giving you. Then you must share those pictures on the WhatsApp group for all the students to see."
We saw Joel nodding his head up and down many times to show he understood perfectly what he was to do. After that, the lecturer took his bag and left the class quickly. As for the rest of us students, we just grabbed our notebooks and scattered quickly outside because the class finished late that Saturday night.
The following week, I noticed that 4-5 students sent messages on our class WhatApp group asking if the lecturer gave any assignment. I responded and told them no o, this our new English teacher did not give us any assignments; he only asked us to write the course outline.
But I was surprised by what I saw the next Saturday! As I got to the classroom that evening, I saw everybody in class writing on a full scalp sheet. At first, I wondered in silence: How come this assignment is reaching me today only? Maybe my memory was not sharp again about what the teacher instructed us to do?
I move and stood behind one girl, Mary, writing fast-fast to check what this new assignment question was. As I looked properly at her notebook, I did not see a question-type essay or comprehension passage. Instead, from up to down, what I saw was the English course outline information.
Suddenly, I understood the mixed-up laughter coming out of my mouth before I could stop it. Over-clever Joel had wrongly sent the course outline to the WhatsApp platform and instructed the students in the group that it was our first assignment, just like proper homework for submitting back to lecturer. He confidently forwarded it to full class telling them to write out everything.
I kindly went to explain to my them that no real homework was given, so they could keep their full scalp sheet ands stop giving themselves head ache.
Upon realizing how they all misinterpreted the lecturer's instructions, they all face-palmed already feeling embarrassed and laughed out loud.
It was a good laugh for me too.
Imagination and effort were too much for small course rep work!
Well, without such funny confusion sometimes, this English class life would be too boring. We passed on good-natured comments and packed our bags to leave after that interesting drama.
Joel took the course rep role too serious and ended up giving out assignments where none existed 😂 funny enough, everyone had a Joel in their class at one point or another, one of those overzealous students that tend to take every thing too serious
You got the description very well Hahahaha
That guys ehn, I just couldn't stop laughing. Thank God I didn't join them
Lols 😂😂😂😂
So even if Jeol didn't understand English, all the class don't, it's really funny how they were all copying the course outlines as though it's an assignment.
Lol how would u make that mistake
Not me, but one of the students
Okay
Joel had scattered the whole class with his misinterpretation, most students will not read instructions and talkless about reading questions, I once had a friend who would always copy your matric number when copying from you. #dreemerforlife