Teaching is a form of Jujutsu

The last couple of days I have been a substitute teacher at the American International School of Bamako where Mariel works. The ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher has been out taking care of VISA business for her Malian husband.

My schedule looked like this:

8:20-9:10 - 2nd and 3rd grade
9:15-10:10 - 4th, 5th, and 6th grade
11:40-12:30 - High School ESL
12:30-1:20 - High School English
1:30-2:20 - Middle School

So I was all over the board with regards to age and ability. Each group had its own idiosyncrasies - things I loved about them and things I wish I knew better how to handle. This was my first time in a classroom as a primary educator and needless to say, without prior experience or training, this was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants endeavor.

The one thing that I found out during the last two days that I think is universally applicable to teaching - and classroom management especially - is that teaching is a form of Jujutsu.

According to Wikipedia

"Due to the difficulty of dispatching an armored opponent with striking techniques, the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it, and came to be known as jujutsu".

For all you teachers out there, please let me know if you do not find this quote a compelling analogy.