This fall, I came across a pseudonymous GW 1L student blog, Idle Grasshopper. Mr. Idle Grasshopper blogged a lot about his professors (appropriately anonymized, but still recognizable to an insider), and I decided to tip off one of those professors so he could check out what the student was saying about him. That professsor is one of GW’s best young teachers, and Idle Grasshopper was appropriately wowed by his teaching — and also a bit nervous about getting called on given the professor’s demanding Socratic style.
My colleague started to visit the student’s blog on occasion to see the student’s reaction to class and also to see if he could figure out the student’s identity. After visiting the blog on a semi-regular basis for a few months, he was able to piece together the evidence and determine who was Idle Grasshopper. He also realized that he had never called on the student in the course of the entire year (the course was Civ Pro, a year-long class). He decided not to call on Mr. Idle Grasshopper until the very last case on the very last day of the semester. And when he did, it was with a very cleverly crafted introduction:
Professor: So, Mr. [ ].
Student: Yes sir.
Professor: You’ve been sitting back there idle all year, laying low in the grass, but I’d like to put this seating chart in the hopper, so I thought I’d call on you.
Check out the student’s reaction here.
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