The book on teaching begins, "Students crave clear, consistent structure...." Principals, heads of schools, and administrators all agree, and demand that teachers operate with this in mind. Formal dress codes, assigned seating at dining tables and demerit systems are extreme manifestations of this mantra. Then you have Proctor, where the faculty--not administration--defines structure, and does so with a radical, independent streak based not on texts, but on our own experience.
Example: Monday's exam started at 10 AM, as does today's. Yesterday's began at 9 o'clock, and was followed by another at 2PM.
Friday's exam will start at 8:30, after a 7:15 breakfast; tomorrow's is at 9...right after brunch.
The students who navigate this chaordic (chaotic/ordered) schedule are truly prepared for college and life beyond. Me? I'm off to see if they're serving brunch.
