Jedi Mind Trick

Yesterday afternoon we were gossiping about the course evaluation forms. Fall forms have just come back (mine have been put in my filing cabinet --unopened), and the reminder about ordering the spring forms was in our boxes, too. One of the grad students who was there is well-known for always getting good evaluations. We asked him what his secret is.

Part of it, I'm sure, comes from his young-and-hip image. And he's not as socially inept as your typical mathematician. Probably doesn't hurt that he's kind of tall.

His secret, he told us, is the Jedi Mind Trick.

He will say, in class, things like:

"I'm explaining this very clearly."

He does this all semester, for all the questions on the evaluation form.