The little lightbulb went on

Today was the first day of a new class for me to teach. This is not the one where I need emails sent to them for practice. This is the one that comes before emails - more basic than that. It's pretty much a mouse class, really. They learn the basic parts of the computer and the screens, and to use a mouse to click, double click, and drag. Eventually we get to more advanced things, like Paint. Paint, of course, uses the mouse, right? I once had a professional artist in my class. She humbled us all on Paint, even though she had never used it before.

I had to rush to get there early enough to get everything set up. I haven't taught a new class in a month or two so I wanted to be sure I remembered everything. I scooped up the class roster and keys for the computer room and happily found the room empty. I didn't have to shoo anyone out.

I had to reboot all the computers, get out the manuals, set up the sign in sheet, write the basics on the board so they would be sure they were in the right room. All the usual first day of class routine.

One of the things I have to do is turn on the overhead, which is set in the ceiling, and allows my computer screen to be projected onto a screen behind me so the class can see what I am doing and follow along. Since I have been told the bulbs for the overhead cost $300 each, I don't turn it on until close to class time.

Students and my two coaches started showing up early, so I turned on the overhead about 10 minutes before class time and tried to open a web site. We don't go online in this class, but I like to give some exposure anyway. Of course, I was unable to get online. I had to fix that, and it seemed we were good to go.

One woman looked familiar, so I asked her if she had been in a former class of mine. Some students take classes over, even the very beginning ones. Some senior citizens have to really work to absorb the basics, especially some who have had strokes or closed head injuries. No, she said she looked familiar to me because I have kicked her out many times. Oh yeah, one of the shoo-ees. We have open computer time some mornings, and she was sometimes using the computer right before my classes. It was good to see someone familiar.

About 5 minutes before we were to start, I heard a sound like a lightbulb exploding, and the screen on the wall went black. Mycomputer screen was still on. Uh oh. I have often wondered how it would be to try to teach a class without the overhead. I did not want to find out.

I asked my coaches if they had heard anything, and they said no. I pointed out the dark screen, and one of them went to the front desk to get assistance. I started teaching, and apologized for the screen being out. I said to myself, "self, improvise."

It's not easy. I cannot see their screens anyway, and now they couldn't see mine. We muddled along, and then the coach returned. After that, the lady from the desk came in. She asked what was wrong, and I said the overhead was out, and it had sounded like the bulb exploded. She assured me it could not be that, since the bulbs cost $400 each. OK, inflation. We continued as best as possible with the lesson.

Next the IT for the city came into the room. He asked me what happened, and I said it had sounded like the bulb exploded. He told me that was not possible, and that the bulbs cost $500 each. Wow, inflation was bad today. I pointed out that maybe it wasn't the bulb, but the power light went out and a red light was flashing up there that I never saw before. He must have thought he was taller than he actually is and found he could not reach the overhead. I jokingly suggest the garbage can, and he actually tested it for strength. Scary. He went out. Every time someone comes in or out of the room it's disruptive.

He came back in with a huge orange ladder. I giggled a bit, and told the class to ignore the nice man with the big orange ladder in the middle of the room, and we continued to muddle on. I was getting concerned, since we only have 4 sessions for this class.

He gave up and left after taking the overhead pretty much apart. He took his ladder and left. He didn't say anything, just left. We muddled deeper into the lesson without the overhead.

Next, a different man came in. He brought back the orange ladder. I told the class to ignore the second nice young man on the huge orange ladder. He laughed. He fixed the overhead while we took a break, since half the class was over.

We finally had the appropriate screen on the wall and I proceeded to be able to demonstrate the lesson as it was meant to be taught. I was worried about time, but we actually ended up with some extra time to play solitaire.

Then a strange man walked in. My coach tried to head him off, telling him that we were conducting a class. He walked out. A few minutes later, he walked back in and I told him we were conducting a class. He just stood there for a few minutes, told me he just wanted to watch, and then he left. A few minutes more, and he came back in, walked through the room and up to my desk and stood there, and asked me how he could sign up his father for a class. I told him we were conducting a class right now, but that he could go to the front desk and ask about future classes. We do get people walking in now and then, and I admit I find it a bit unnerving.

Once a man from India or Pakistan walked in right in the middle of a lesson. He was quite elderly, and just sat down next to someone. He obviously was unfamiliar with the English language. The coach was unable to unseat him. I said don't worry, someone will be right behind him. Sure enough, a woman came in the room,  apologized, and walked him out. I smiled. Alzheimer's, was my guess.

Back to today's issue. What did the second nice young man have in his hand to fix the overhead? Can you guess?

A new bulb, of course, to replace the one that had exploded. Sigh.