As a boy, I vividly remember sitting in front of my family television watching the local news patiently every Saturday night. I sat with bated breath, as they discussed the weather or high school sports. Any other night I would find anything to do during that time but not Saturday night. It wasn’t the weekend news that interested me but what followed the news on Saturday nights. Once the anchor signed off, wrestling came on and I couldn’t miss a minute. Not even a second! I would watch enormous men beat each other senseless and yell into the microphone what they would do to one another in the coming weeks. I was hooked. The lights, the sound, the smoke filled arenas created a presentation that blew my young mind.
I know your first thought, “It’s all fake! Right?” As I grew, I learned that the answer is yes or kinda. I don’t think I’m breaking new ground in saying the show was set up and predetermined. I also found that the term "fake" may not be an applicable term, as most would believe. That’s what made the Saturday evening show so alluring, the show itself. I was drawn to the spectacle of the stories, characters, and production of it all. It was like a comic book had come to life on television. Heroes and villains locked in conflict for live crowds and the television audiences. For a young boy, this was the greatest show on earth!
On Monday mornings, I would go to school and was planted firmly back in reality. I was an average student at best. I didn’t get into trouble much but had a very difficult time reading. I struggled with spelling and writing for most of my childhood. My grades were typically below average, because I saw no need to complete the work. I knew the answers but struggled to put them down on paper legibly. Some would call it “lazy”. Others would say I needed to “focus”( this predates ADD and ADHD) . The reality is I struggled with completing the busy work and school was BORING.
The school I attended was a picturesque country school. We had blackboards, radiator heat, and wooden lockers. The school hadn’t changed much from the 1960’s. Unfortunately, neither had the methods of teaching for some. Looking back, with the knowledge I have now, many of those teachers were doing exactly what they had been doing for years, despite changing times and children. Our wooden desks were lined up perfectly each day. Worksheets were the daily norm and work was checked at the blackboard. Lessons were almost exclusively whole group, with few exceptions. My teachers were teaching as hard as they knew how. They just weren’t “smart” to the needs of this generation.
The term “smart” has a different meaning in the wrestling business, as do many words. There is a special language that old time wrestlers use. It is almost a language of the past. Wrestlers used “carney” talk to communicate with each other and fans were none the wiser. This derives from the old carnival workers, where pro wrestling first became popular. Specifically, the term “smart” means to be in the know and understand the innerworkings of the show. A “smart” person knew how to perform for the crowd and drew people into the show. They understood the nuances of getting a reaction, playing on emotion, and how to decipher what the crowd wants.
I was around 20 when I was first "smartened" up to the business. I was working and studying photography in my hometown. I knew that in order to get into the Fine Arts program at the University, I had to have a portfolio of work. Around that same time, I met a local wrestler at a gas station. He was hanging papers (putting up advertisements) and I asked if I could photograph the show. He agreed and I was on my way to the big time. Well…. I was on my way to the national guard armory.
I got in the door, without paying no less! I was shown to the back and was not allowed to talk to the wrestlers. The man (gentleman is too strong a term) running the show allowed me to stand ringside and photograph the show. Now, when you are that close and shooting action, it is amazing what you catch on film. What I thought I saw and what the camera showed were two different things. I began to see the magic behind the act. I could also hear the workers quietly talking. It didn’t happen often, but it was there. I was starting to understand a little of what went into the show.
It wasn’t until I had come to the shows for months that I got my opportunity to “smarten” up. Over that time, I had gained the trust of many of the guys in the back. I would print them off pictures and bring them a free copy. It was a way to thank them and they loved showing them off to their girlfriends. Because I was well liked and trusted, it was decided that I would help in one of the matches. This led to the dreaded Camera-on-a-Pole match, which I’m sure is one of the more menacing matches in wrestling history. The match literally had one of my old broken cameras on a pole six feet above the ring. The first one to reach it, got to use it against his opponent. The humanity of it all!!!
As the match progressed, I was shooting pictures as normal and the crowd was not into the action. It was dead. No one cared about what was going on in the ring. I’m sure the dangers of the ominous CAMERA OF DEATH was lost on the crowd. Outside the ring, the “Bad Guy’s” manager took note and started to bad mouth the 20 year old strikingly handsome and skinny cameraman. I didn’t know what to do. He continued to get closer and yelled even louder. The people started to pay attention. He grabbed me and whispered, “hit me”. In shock and fear for my life, I clocked that big stinky man in the head. He fell like a ton of bricks. The crowd went nuts! After the match, I was brought into the ring and the fans chanted “Cameraman! Cameraman!”. The next day at the grocery store, I heard a young boy yell “Cameraman” as I walked around. He ran up and gave me a high five. What we had done had made an impact on that boy. It was kind of cool too.
You see, the performers understood that the show was not being received well. The manager on the outside knew he had to do something to get their attention. He knew the crowd would sympathize with a young skinny guy who was noticeably outmatched. He was smart to what he needed to do to get the result he wanted. People would come back because they were interested in the show. For this small wrestling group, that meant more money in their pocket.
As a teacher, I always went back to this moment and thought process. In a sense, teachers are performers. Our students are our audience. I always asked myself, "How am I drawing them in?" and "What did I get across?". If the students leave uninspired, they are likely uninformed on the content. We must smarten up and find a way to engage them in the classroom. Teachers must be willing to adjust on the fly and do what is needed to garner student attention. If we can make an impact on them, they will remember the content. The more they are engaged, the more they will want to come to class and learn. It’s kind of cool.
Every teacher knows someone that doesn’t “get it”. They are the teachers who believe that students should learn because they are told too. They believe that learning is a discipline to be followed. Over my career, I have walked by a few rooms with no joy or laughter to be heard. On the flip side, those teachers who are “smart” strive to instill a love of learning. They laugh and build relationships with their kids. They plan activities that students enjoy, not just because they are being evaluated. If students care about the teacher and enjoy the class, learning can be a joy and not a job.
I get a good idea of if a teacher is “smart” to the business of teaching by talking to kids. Please don’t mistake popularity for being “smart”. Being a popular teacher and a “smart teacher” are two very different things with different results. Students who are being taught by a “smart” teacher can’t wait to share what they did in class. They will teach me what they learned. They can’t wait to get to class. As for those other teachers, students typically dread their class and all I hear is negativity.
Many of you may think I’m crazy for choosing to parallel wrestling and education. Having been around the circus, wrestling, and education for extended parts of my life, I can assure you there is so much that relates. We are given the stage each day to maximize our moments in front of children. I urge you to be “smart” in your classroom. Listen to your gut and the kids to make the biggest impact possible. Now, go walk that aisle! Ding! Ding!
Next week- It’s all is how you “work”.
Stay Sharp
Dr. S