The Wisdom I Impart

Yesterday evening we had a Christmas event at my school. I was in my classroom beforehand, and in walked a student who had been in 8th grade my first year teaching at the school.

We got to talking, and somehow or other she brought up in conversation something she remembered that I had told her class...

She remembered that I had told them that on the East Coast Carl's Jr. is called Hardees.

Oh, did I have a laugh over that one.

Of all the wisdom I impart on a daily basis, more often than not, these are the kinds of things my students remember.

In the past, students who have stopped in to visit have reminisced with me about the time in class when a student gave an answer and I responded, "That's just alright for me, Dawg" (a reference to Randy Jackson on American Idol).

Or, the time I referred to the shabby town in a novel we were reading as a "crappy" town... (little did I know, these kids think "crappy" is a bad word)

Or the time my husky ran away (don't worry, we found him). Apparently, I was rather shaken the next day from the whole experience, because that's something that seems to be imprinted in every one of my ex-students' minds.

Or that chicken and potatoes is my favorite meal. And I'm allergic to apples.

Or the time someone knocked on the back door of the classroom when the front door was wide open. I yelled at one of my students who started to approach the back door thinking he was going to answer it when in actuality he was immersed in reading his book, completely unaware of the fact that he was being scolded by me, and was not planning to open the door at all, but rather, was on his way to throw a tissue into the garbage can. We all had a long laugh over that one, and the students who were there remember it well.

It's funny the things these students notice and remember.

During my first year as a teacher my students brought it to my attention that I sigh a lot.

This year, one of my students informed me that I bite the inside of my cheeks when I am thinking. Indeed, I do. I had never noticed before. Now I can't stop noticing.

I guess what I can say is at least they're paying attention. Somewhere between American Idol and Carl's Jr. I must be slipping some useful knowledge in there somewhere.

Atleast, that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.