Conflict Management for Dummies, Thursday, Third Period

[thefearwasreal]

Oz's class was meeting in a normal classroom this week. Once everyone had arrived and found a seat, he began.

"Afternoon, kids, I'm Oz and this is Conflict Management for Dummies, if you're in the wrong place, stick around, you might learn something."

"Now usually conflict management is all about touchy-feely crap, and don't get me wrong that has it's place, I am a big fan of team bonding." Just ask his employees sometime, and ignore the shell-shocked looks while they replied. "But sometimes the person you're in conflict with is a real jerk who doesn't want to kiss and make nice, and even they did you know they'd be back to their old tricks the second they weren't being watched. Basically, sometimes conflict management is less about resolution and more about controlled escalation." Because that was a thing that always ended well.

"So over the the next few weeks, I'm going to be teaching you guys some conflict management techniques, which I highly encourage you to practice outside the classroom, at least the legal ones. But for now I just want your names, your year, and the best prank you ever pulled on someone." Just in case anyone was in doubt about the kind of techniques Oz was talking about.

The Care and Feeding Of (Human) Sidekicks, Friday 3rd Period (7/12/13)

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Sooooooo, there was no Batman waiting for the students at the beginning of the period. He wouldn't be swooping in all spooky and intimidating after they arrived, either, for the record, and the Danger Shop wasn't set up as any kind of daunting scenario right off the (heh) bat.

Nope, instead it was just Stephanie, totally unintimidating and what-would-you-know-about-sidekicking-really, sitting on a picnic blanket under a tree near a small spread of mostly-healthy snacks.

"Looks like it's just you and me today," she said with an apologetic shrug. "As I found out from the note I got that just said I -- Stephanie Brown, by the way, recent grad and your not-actually-an-expert-here TA -- was covering class. Talk about some crash-course sidekicking right out of the gates, huh? So totally not prepared here, but he is the boss, and when the boss says jump --"

She paused, a look of mild horror crossing her face as she resumed in a much more melodic way.

"I'd say 'How high?'
If he said 'Run,' I'd run and fly --"

Oh wow, Steph, Debbie Gibson, really?

She waved both hands in a broad 'cut it out' gesture. "Fly by the seat of my pants, basically, because I had nothing planned here, so I'm falling back on the good old first week introductions chestnut, because --"

And here they went again.

"-- I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do --"

"-- in a completely not at all like Lionel Richie way, though. Let's disclaim that right now, okay? Okay." Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Name and whatever else you feel like sharing. And if you start singing your intros I won't hold it against you. It's just one of those Fandom days."

Detecting 101, Friday, Period 2

[bitten_notshy]

It was one of those days again, which meant Jack's entrance into the class was underscored by some mumbly singing. You think you're alone until you realize you're in it/ Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit/They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit/Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?/The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents...

Jack cleared his throat rather loudly. "Hi. I apologize for the singing, I promise you didn't accidentally sign up for Musicals 101. Anyhow, welcome to Detecting 101 -- or, how to be a sneak for fun and profit. I'm Jack Priest. Call me Jack or Mr. Priest, I really don't care. As for why I'm leading this class, my guardian was one of the great detectives of our age. I don't claim to be on his level -- quite -- but I certainly know enough to teach a summer course about it. I'm told the lovely Minako Aino will be my assistant, but if you'd like to be a second TA, please see me after class. I never object to additional help."

"Housekeeping out of the way ... the first thing you need to consider as a detective," Jack said, leaning back against his desk, "is who you want to be. I don't only mean false names or disguises, though sometimes those are necessary. What I mean is how to present yourself. For example, if you're trying to trail someone into a posh restaurant, you want to look like the type of person who's perfectly at home in that kind of restaurant. If you need to talk to someone at a gym, you want to seem like an athlete. If you seem uncomfortable or out of place, you won't get much past the front door. And if you're following someone covertly, you want to blend into the crowd as much as possible."

He spoke on the topic for several more minutes, then gestured to the racks of clothing and makeup tables at the side of the room. "And there are your materials. Get yourselves prettied up for a role you can imagine playing, then we'll regroup for introductions. I'd like to hear your names and why you dressed as you did -- but if you want to give a false name, I won't hold it against you."

Monsters and Humans, Friday, Period 4

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

From the way Drac strode into the classroom, head high, confident, cape billowing majestically... you wouldn't guess that he had just been led through the worst of the sewers from the hotel by a snickering gremlin.

He'd changed his clothes just before entering the classroom, though, and not even a hellhound could smell any of the sewer on him now, but a twitch at the corner of Drac's eye that meant SOMEmonster was going to get in trouble when located later.

He gave the room a glance; almost everyone was human-like in appearance! Drac dropped his stoic pose for half a moment to sag in despair that even here the children felt they should have to worry and fear about how they look.

He straightened quickly, though and nodded. "My name is Count Dracula, and I will be teaching relations between Monsters and Humans. Something with which I am very familiar." Another twitch.

"Today we will start by getting to know each other. Let us go around the room and say our names and what type of monster we are. And maybe something that you want the others to know about your kind." He gave a side glance. "Like how gremlins are totally not to be trusted, even when you pay them."

"My daughter, Mavis, will be my Teaching Assistant, and I will be choosing another before the end of class today. Oh. And please, feel free to return to your normal state," he waved a hand dismissively. Seeing his fellow monsters hide was making him depressed. "We are all monsters here; no need to fear."

...

He gave a dangerous smile full of fang. "Unless you're a gremlin named Gregory."


[Yeeeah, today Drac twigs to the fact that the primary population on the island is not "monster."]

Archery 102 [Friday, 1st Period]

[so_hawkward]

If anyone had told Clint, when he first got to Fandom, that he'd be looking forward to teaching, he probably wouldn't have believed it. And yet here he was, counting heads to make sure everyone was accounted for as the students filed into the Danger Shop. He'd gotten pretty good at the controls over the last few weeks, and had what he considered his standard setup going - a sunny outdoor field--with much cooler weather than whatever was actually going on outside--with a row of targets lined up and a table of bows and quivers.

"Hey folks, welcome to archery," he said once everyone was there. "I'm Clint Barton, and it's really nice to have you here. I know you're probably tired of introducing yourself but I do want to make sure I learn your names. So, let me know who you are and why you decided to take this class, and maybe how much experience you have, if any. If you already know what you're doing, feel free to take some time to practice. If not, I can help you get started."