but somebody's gotta do it

Teaching is a rough job, you get a great deal of lip service about how wonderful and sweet you are but no one backs that up with anything. I find my job is more bearable when I find new and interesting ways to do things; today’s new and interesting method is to abuse the students in detention with singing.

I like to break the day up with a little lightness there and here but today afforded no opportunity. We had a test in math and a heavy religion lesson about God always knowing what you are doing. Does God watch us go to the bathroom? Fernando, God knows when you go to the bathroom – he can hear you singing in there, too – but ‘knowing’ and ‘watching’ are two different things. Then we read perhaps the most boring story ever written by someone beside myself about a blind Puerto Rican kid who makes greeting cards for people’s step mothers. There was no opportunity to do anything interesting.

The students had a reading assignment that once completed would be reviewed this afternoon in class by a peer. This was to be done as homework. Well, the students who did not do it needed to stay in finish so the other children would not have their education impeded by a lazy classmate.

Our school is in a church so around noon – when we are supposed to be at recess – the bells start to peel. Since when the bells are ringing they are ringing Christmas carols and hymns, I decided to sing along – as punishment. My singing could peel the paint of the walls if I did it long enough. It was one of those times when students sat there and realized the error of their ways.

Now we are sitting through the electrical safety assembly put on by the local utility. The man introduced himself and his partner – my students asked why he brought his boyfriend and when talking about the incredibly rare instance of being hit by lightening that I had been struck by lightening. How they know that is beyond me because my sister would not have shared something like that with them, but they definitely told the utility people that.

I have to go – run interference – I have seen this presentation before and they are going to start talking about ‘using protection’ when dealing with electricity but my students are probably going to bring up diaphragms or something.

Comments

[Alex Vance]

I think people can tell just by looking that you've been struck by lightning.

[Margaret]

TEaching does have its adventures though, doesn't it? The way those kids' minds think is awesome, yet scary.

[Jay V]

Diaphragms are a good way to protect yourself. Well not YOURself but you know.