The Corn Dog

Some time ago, and I won't say how long, there was a naked corn dog incident at school.  I call it an incident because it was indeed a problem.  Corn dogs should follow the dress code the same as the rest of the school and be held accountable for leaving the classroom or lunchroom where they ought to be.

A substitute was hanging out of the doorway of her classroom for the day as I strolled down the hallway on my conference period.  My moral and ethical obligation dictated that the correct, polite, and friendly response would be to stop and see if she needed help.

"That boy has something under his desk and is making everyone laugh!"

"Gee whiz! Alright.  Tell him to come with me." And so she sent the accused boy out into the hall with me and we headed for the office.

"Hand over whatever it is."

"I don't have anything," he replied as he fidgeted with his pockets.

He didn't know that I'm not allowed to search him, maybe.  I'm not really sure about that.  However, when he turned out his pockets after my asking, there was a de-breaded corn dog. Not only was it a de-breaded corn dog, but it was a de-breaded corn dog with a smiley face on the end.  Controlling my own laughter was very difficult as I realized that during class the student was holding it in his lap and playing with it like a penis.  How do I explain this when I get to the principal? 

"Hand it over, mister," I mustered as best I could with a voice of authority.  And so he did.

The office staff seemed very interested in the entire story when I arrived with the student and corn dog in tow.  As seriously and irate as I could, I relayed the story and insisted that the Mr. Principal handle this instead of Mrs. Vice Principal.

As soon as the student walked off with Mr. Principal, the entire office erupted into laughter.  What else could we do?

Lessons:
1. Corn dogs are not toys.
2. Substitutes need special training.
3. Teachers need acting lessons.

Teacher Tuesday: Acronyms in Education

As we move into a new semester, every teacher needs to be aware of new acronyms for expressing your situation in the classroom.  Success in education depends knowledge and mastery of all the acronyms.  

First, STUFF is increasingly important to master.  Technology is playing a bigger role in the way that we communicate with each other and do business.  Teachers must teach STUFF.  




Each afternoon, I love to ask my personal children what they did at school.  I get worried when they tell me that they didn't do crap.  This is not a polite word, but it is now a recognized educational acronym.  I want my kids to do CRAP because they need practice.  


Finally, are you a DRIP teacher?  Sometimes you need to change up your strategies.  Unless they are working.  If your practices are working, keep going strong!  If you continue to be frustrated like a dripping faucet, switch up your activities.  

Fashion Friday

The right pair of shoes can change a girl's life.  At least that is what the story line of Cinderella teaches us.

Finding my perfect pair, or style, took me a while, but after finally moving to the country, I discovered cowboy boots.  To be honest, I have been wearing cowboy boots for 20 years even as a previous city slicker.  However, boots were not a consistent or essential part of life the way they have become in the past few years.

I am actually thankful that heels and other cute shoes don't work as well for me now because wearing them was usually painful and inconvenient.  I've seen the toll that the wrong kind of shoes can have on a person's feet.  When I was in the fourth grade, my mom had bunion surgery on both of her feet after years of wearing cute heels.  I watched my sister-in-law recover after the same surgery.  If there is anyway to avoid that situation and keep happy feet, I think I'll take that option.

My boots are comfortable enough that I can wear them all day.  They are also smarter shoes in almost every situation.

Fashion Friday - Be kind to your feet!