Teacher Fuax Pas

I am a retired eight grade teacher.That alone should hint at the fact that I have many embarrassing moments.Today I am going to tell you the one that is the worst, or the best depending how you look at it.

I taught Language Arts, Speech and Drama at a Junior High school. My good friend was a Music teacher at the same school. We would sometimes combine classes for different projects. On this day we decided to combine just to have a relaxing day.

I had brought scripts for an older play that students would enjoy reading. The morning went very well with the sixth and seventh grade students. They were enthusiastic and eager to be assigned parts in the play to be read aloud. After lunch came the eighth graders .They were lethargic after their cafeteria lunch. They came into the choir room quietly and took their seats trying to sit near their friends.

As they filed in , I handed each one a script. Since it was my turn to lead the class I explained a little about the play and said we would be assigning parts.My friend Sharon stood by to handle any problems. I began to assign the parts. Remember, I said this was an older play so the names were not really modern.

" The first part is Jane. She is the lead. Who would like to be Jane?" a few less than eager hands went up and the part was assigned. "Ok, Bill . Who wants the part of Bill"?' More listless hand went up and the part was handed out. "Edna. Who wants to be Edna?" After a short pause a girl raised her and and took the part. I handed out several more parts' slowly accepted but with no big problems. And then came Dick. As the music teacher, Sharon looked on I said "Who wants to be Dick?" I waited . No response. Just blank stares .So I repeated . The part is Dick. Who wants to be Dick?" No response. "This is the last part. Who will take the part of Dick? No one raised his hand. And then I said "Oh , come on, there must be a Dick in here somewhere!" Yup, I said that.

There was dead silence. I mean the dead silence that tells you said something wrong. The students started at me . Sharon started to grin. And in one big wave the students started falling out of their chairs laughing. Sharon roared out loud and turned her back to the students. I tried not to laugh. I really tried. I stared at the group, looked at Sharon, and she immediately went into her office that was connected to the choir room and shut the door. She left me standing there with a classroom full of hysterical fourteen year boys and girls just rolling with laughter. I was trying to pretend I did not know what was funny. I turned my back.

But I knew and I had to laugh, and I mean laugh, with tears and facial expressions and noise. I turned back around and faced the giggling mob. We laughed for awhile and then I went into the office and closed the door. The office has a window to the choir room . The students were watching us laugh through the window.

We readied ourselves or steadied ourselves and went back into the room with the students.Still smiling and controlling my laughter I spoke, " ok lets settle down.Lets get back to business. No more laughing." and I continued to try to control my self. I asked a student to collect the plays scripts. She did . Sharon sat down at the piano and began to play . We began to sing a few songs . With echos of giggles and laughter throughout. A few minute later , class was over and the students left at lot more energetic and happy than when they entered. Sharon and I hugged and continued to laugh. It made our day too.