Like a Dog with a Bone
Last week, I had another teacher come in and observe me. He is actually the teacher I replaced when he retired, and he was coming in as a favor to give me some ideas and thoughts about my teaching. I could ask the other English teacher to do this for me, but she is a second year teacher and just as new as I am to this school. I decided to go with experience. This teacher was mostly unknown to the freshmen, so when my third period students walked in, they were a little surprised to see him.
One girl walked in, did a double-take, and asked, "Ms. May, are you leaving?"
"No--"
"Then why is there a sub?"
"He's not a sub, he's--"
"Is he your husband?" she interrupted.
"No!" I was surprised this was her first thought, since he is much, much older than I am. Much older. "He's here to--"
"Don't be stupid," a second girl interrupted, "we know she's not married!"
"Right," the first girl said. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"What? No! No, he's here to watch me teach. He's a guest! Can't I have a guest?" I said. I was completely thrown off by this point, nervously looking over to the other teacher, hoping he wasn't paying close attention to this exchange, because I felt embarrassed in so many ways.
The second girl piped up again: "He's not her boyfriend! He's too old!"
The first girl looked back at him, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess." Then her eyes lit up. "Hey! Do you have a boyfriend, Ms. May?"
"Okay," I said, turning to the rest of the class. "We've been talking about nouns and noun phrases, so I'd like you to to get out some writing materials."
"You do!" she exulted. "She does," she said to the other student.
I ignored them both, looking at a different part of the classroom. "I also need you to take out the grammar sheet you had yesterday."
"Ms. May, when you don't have me as a student next year, then will you tell me about your boyfriend?"
"I also need you to look at your books and find the definition of 'preposition'," I continued.
"You will!" the student said confidently, retrieving her pencil from her bag.
Oy vey.
One girl walked in, did a double-take, and asked, "Ms. May, are you leaving?"
"No--"
"Then why is there a sub?"
"He's not a sub, he's--"
"Is he your husband?" she interrupted.
"No!" I was surprised this was her first thought, since he is much, much older than I am. Much older. "He's here to--"
"Don't be stupid," a second girl interrupted, "we know she's not married!"
"Right," the first girl said. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"What? No! No, he's here to watch me teach. He's a guest! Can't I have a guest?" I said. I was completely thrown off by this point, nervously looking over to the other teacher, hoping he wasn't paying close attention to this exchange, because I felt embarrassed in so many ways.
The second girl piped up again: "He's not her boyfriend! He's too old!"
The first girl looked back at him, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess." Then her eyes lit up. "Hey! Do you have a boyfriend, Ms. May?"
"Okay," I said, turning to the rest of the class. "We've been talking about nouns and noun phrases, so I'd like you to to get out some writing materials."
"You do!" she exulted. "She does," she said to the other student.
I ignored them both, looking at a different part of the classroom. "I also need you to take out the grammar sheet you had yesterday."
"Ms. May, when you don't have me as a student next year, then will you tell me about your boyfriend?"
"I also need you to look at your books and find the definition of 'preposition'," I continued.
"You will!" the student said confidently, retrieving her pencil from her bag.
Oy vey.