I am crazy about teaching...literally. I go a little crazy and do some crazy things on behalf of my students. This week, we read a short story entitled "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving (it's an awesome story, by the way!), and the devil is described as having wild and matted black hair, wearing a black tunic and red sash, and riding a black horse with red eyes. Well...at the end of the story, the devil knocks three times on Tom Walker's front door and then wisks him away. So, right before we got to that point in the story, I slipped out of the room (my co-teacher kept right on reading the story aloud), and then, just as she got to the right point in the story, I knocked three times on the classroom door.
Confused, a student opened it...and I strutted in wearing this oh-so-flattering get-up. You should've seen their faces. Sixteen year olds are WAY too cool to dress up themselves, but they sure get a kick out of it when I humiliate myself! Surprisingly, I actually got the boy who was reading the part of Tom Walker to get up and gallop out of the classroom on the "devil's horse" (which Ryan made out of a broom, trash bags, and rolls of toilet paper.) The costume is hideous, and I look hideous in it...but I bet they'll remember the story forever!! ("Remember that time Mrs. Nielson came into our class dressed up as the devil?") Isn't my job fun??
Confused, a student opened it...and I strutted in wearing this oh-so-flattering get-up. You should've seen their faces. Sixteen year olds are WAY too cool to dress up themselves, but they sure get a kick out of it when I humiliate myself! Surprisingly, I actually got the boy who was reading the part of Tom Walker to get up and gallop out of the classroom on the "devil's horse" (which Ryan made out of a broom, trash bags, and rolls of toilet paper.) The costume is hideous, and I look hideous in it...but I bet they'll remember the story forever!! ("Remember that time Mrs. Nielson came into our class dressed up as the devil?") Isn't my job fun??
So...I can't believe I'm actually going to post this embarassing video footage, but, what the heck...you'll probably get a good laugh. (Ryan certainly did.) My co-teacher wanted me to gallop around the hallway in my costume, which of course I was NOT willing to do in the middle of the school day with the students there. (Humiliating myself in front of MY students who know me is one thing...a bunch of strangers...now that's a different story.) Anyway, she got me to do it after school when no one was around but the janitor (who already knows I'm crazy), and we were cracking up. I love my co-teacher, Sherry. (Sorry the video is tilted the wrong way...we are teachers, not experienced camera women.)
Please don't blackmail me with this:
Oh my gosh!! That is too hilarious! You are such a great teacher- and you're right, they will probably always remember that story!
ReplyDeleteYou are nuts (in reference to the video) but somehow I'm not all that surprised . . . I guess this is what many a summer at camp, combined with a passion for teaching results in!
ReplyDeleteI love ya Rach!! That's so awesome! YOu should wear your costume to seminary!! Your students there would love it.
ReplyDeleteAnd Dad calls ME absurd.... :)
ReplyDeleteSure wish you were Kate's teacher! Her 11th grade English class is nothing like yours! But...you are just where you belong and I bet there will be kids who talk about you a l-o-n-g time from now...and though you may not realize it now...some lives that you will change for the good forever.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE IT! Although, I SO would have done it in front of random students, too! To see some confused looks on the faces of innocent by-standers in that video would have made it WAY more hilarious!
ReplyDeleteYou are deeply disturbed.
ReplyDelete