How would you like to be this teacher?
When I was a child, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few
sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and experience a
little public speaking. And it gives me a break and some guaranteed
entertainment. Usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Children bring
in pet, turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff
like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them.
If they want to lug it to school and talk about it, they're welcome.
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing
child, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a
pillow stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant
and says, "This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birth day.
First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put
a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine
months through an umbrella cord." She's standing there with her hands on
the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder
with me.
The children are watching her in amazement.
"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, Oh, oh,oh!'
Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked around the house for, like an hour,
Oh, oh, oh!'" Now the child is doing this hysterical duck walk; holding
her back and groaning.
"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't
have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down
in bed like this." Erica lies down with her back against the wall.
"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got
thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like
psshhheew!" This child is sitting on the floor with her little hands
miming water flowing away.
"Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push, and breathe, breathe."
They started counting, but never even got past ten." "Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother.
He was covered in yucky stuff.
They said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of stuff inside there for him to do "
Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.
I'm sure I applauded the loudest.
Ever since then, if it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder,
just in case another Erica comes along.
Life is meant to be lived . . . enjoy |
