This week's Teacher Moment is brought to you by the seedy world of insects, out to destroy classrooms one whiteboard at a time.
There are bugs everywhere here.
EVERYWHERE.
If you think you are safe from mosquitos because you're inside, you are wrong. And don't think that the cockroaches and spiders wont find you. They can sense your fear. Even the bug truck that comes around campus at night, spraying toxic bug repellent into the air to ward off the swarms of mosquitos (literally swarms -- big black clouds of them) cannot keep them away for long.
Yesterday in class, I had my teacher moment.
The class was pretty well-behaved for the day. I'd shut down the trouble-maker early, and he was participating along with the rest of the group. Point for me.
I had them sitting quietly and listening to me as I wrapped up my lesson for the day (I think we were learning about order of operations). While I was wrapping up some of my last thoughts, Ms. H started writing her objective on the board for her class, which was next. The students naturally were paying attention to her and not me, which was fine since she was moving more than me. Law of physics or something.
Anyway, suddenly Ms. H squeals and takes a fast step backward. The peace was broken as students started pointing, laughing and squealing about the spider on the board. Turning, I looked for the little punk who was about to destroy my hard-earned silent class.
It was just a daddy long leg. A rather large one, mind you (leg span of a silver dollar), but just a daddy long leg.
Normally I hate killing insects. But I have my priorities. So without thinking -- and with only one thing on my mind (regaining order) -- I stepped up and with one swing smacked the spider with the palm of my hand.
Turning back to the class as I brushed the insect off my palm, I resumed without skipping a beat.
"As I was saying..."
You should have seen their faces. Pure gold.
Ms. D -- 1; Spider, Destroyer of Hard-Earned, Well-Behaved Classroom -- 0.
It was a good day.
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