One More Meow!

Really 300xThere are certain inherent issues associated with being a teacher. For instance, the question, “Do you have any tissue?” is usually accompanied by an image you can’t erase from your mind, no matter how hard you try. And sick kids, they always ask to go to the nurse standing as close to you as they can physically get. Then there is grammar. Its misuse can be confusing and, at times, even alarming. For example, in some circles, testes is plural for test. That can lead to an awkward moment of silence as you try to make sense of what seems like a very bizarre statement. Yes, education has its challenges.

One of the biggest issues comes when you grade a paper. Every teacher knows that moment when you read an answer and you’re angry and amused all at once. Perhaps they answer a yes or no question with the word bugs. Or when given a choice, they select something from one of the previous questions. Sometimes, teachers give writing assignments. A science teacher might ask middle school or high school students to pretend to be an animal and describe the adaptations they have that help them survive in a particular biome. Their answer might look something like this: “Woof woof. I’m a dog. I’m a big alpha dog. I like to chase putty cats. Meow meow meow meow meow.” And it is that last meow, of course, that makes this type of answer pure genius. Without it, something was, well, lacking in the description. But that last meow put it all in proper educational context if, you know, dogs actually meowed.

Source: David Swann