School Daze

These weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy, busy, busy. My sophomores are reading Macbeth (so many props!), my freshmen are writing about Romeo and Juliet (not especially fun, but one of those necessary ELA assignments), and a million and one other things are happening in the building: Keystone retakes, faculty meetings, Secret Santa mysteries, etc.

Here are some high points from the past week or so:

Last Friday, the day of my book signing, there was a mouse in my classroom! My homeroom was saying the Pledge when Coffee Acquirer emitted a slight squeal and managed to move her entire desk. To her credit, she only put one foot up on the seat, but it was obvious that she was very startled.

To the class's credit, everyone finished the Pledge before seeing to our unexpected visitor.

He (or she, perhaps) had found a hiding spot under my podium... but when s/he realized we were aware of its existence, the little mouse scampered over to the bookshelf behind my desk. Here, s/he burrowed behind a lint roller and some books. The lint roller was a real find as I didn't know it was there; it's already come in handy a few times since its discovery!

My very brave student, whom we shall call Stuart Big for the purpose of this blog, picked up the mouse by the tail and took him/her outside, where s/he was released into the wild. Here's a picture that Stuart Big took before the mouse's departure:

Isn't it precious! 😍

Another precious story involves my second-period boys. Yesterday, Dental Disaster arrived late to class because he'd been to the dentist. "Did you have any cavities?" I wondered.

"Yes," he told me. "I was having them filled. That's why I wasn't here."

I then proceeded to lecture him on dental hygiene. "I brush several times a day," I told my students. "And flossing is not overrated; you should be doing that daily."

"I brush twice each day," Mr. Joyful informed me.

"When I say 'several times a day,'" I clarified, "I mean, like, five."

The boys then asked if I keep a toothbrush in my desk, which of course I do! I proceeded to show it, my toothbrush, and my floss to them.

"When I go to the dentist and they ask when was the last time I flossed," Mr. Joyful admitted, "I answer, 'Oh, probably the last time I was here and you flossed for me.'"

This seemed like a terrible thing. I mean, I am an avid flosser... which is why I then went to my desk and got a bag of those floss-pick thingies and distributed them to each boy in the row. The next thing I knew, Dental Disaster, Mr. Joyful, B-ball Bam-Bam, Mr. Sneak-a-Seat, and Sushi for Breakfast were all flossing! In English class! Isn't that funny?

And last but certainly not least...

Last week, upon entering my classroom at the start of second period, I realized that Sushi for Breakfast (who earned that nickname as a result of this story) was sharing sushi with Mr. Joyful. Period two runs from 8:51 to 9:38, I believe... so it was a little bit early for sushi.

Anyway, that story made me laugh too.

And it also made me crave sushi, so that may be a dinner option later this week.