I’m eighteen years old and…” sfmush, ptpsss sounded fingers, lips, teeth and gums. Bloody fists won’t bode well for my plea of innocence. I was just so sick of this kid flappin’ her tongue every day with her nonsense. Now for a couple more slapping cracks to that slack jaw of hers and I really will get some peace… Bemp, Bemp, Bemp!
The sudden noise jarring in my ears caught me by surprise and threw me off guard. Still I did not let that stop me from swinging a left hook with all of my might to hit… the alarm clock button. The only physical violence that I would get to rejoice in today would yet again be the battle between me and my alarm clock. My true fight would be a great exercise in composure, grace and restraint.
Einstein was quoted as saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Truly it takes a variation of that kind of mentality to teach each day. The student expectations for how and when to walk in the hallways, what words are appropriate to say, what scores to get on certain tests, what is adequate and what is not adequate enough and just on and on. This information is pounded…presented to students that are ill prepared and uninterested at best. So, the educated educators jump through the hoops and pass the times, tests and check points. They are forever changed, rankled and disenchanted. Are educators smarter? No. Wiser. No. Adequate? By degrees. Employed?
Right on time for 5th hour health, “All right students, let’s get started. We have a guest speaker today and we should treat her respectfully as we would treat a guest in our homes.” Pi’Metha pipes in with, “If she were at my house I would just tell her to chill.” “Well, Pi’Metha, let’s pretend that we are at my house because this is my classroom soooooooo we are just going to get quiet and listen to what she has to share with us.” Today we have a speaker from one of the local food co-ops to talk to us about healthy eating choices. I look around the room and watch the students’ response to what this woman has to say. The speaker’s endorsement of the chickpea goes over about as well as Herman Cain’s endorsement of his innocence. It falls flat and sounds false as she sends samples around the room of roasted chickpeas. This chickpea looks as if it has been dug In many cooking situations. I am a fan of the chickpea. However, as I taste this particular sample again, I have to reach into my composure and pull out the grace and restraint not to spit the pea sample into the trash can.
Oddly enough this is representative of what I am pushed to do as an educator each today. Take something that is potentially palatable and distort it to something unrecognizable, mix and serve.