rabbit teacher meets his match

Every now and then the school throws these open classes. It is similar to parent teacher interviews, except they parents don't really speak english, so they watch you teach their children in a language they don't really understand. *shrug*

This can be extremely stressful. The school only runs open classes on certain courses. Treasures happens to be one of those courses. I find it pretty fantastic, okay actually thats a lie, just over a month into teaching and i'm thrown into the fire. I got nervous enough being observed by my boss, let alone my students parents.

I'd like to quantify my nervousness though. I love presenting, i really love it, i like to think at times that i'm really good in front of people. I have problems with things i can't control. I know i can handle the pressure, i know that i can do just about anything in front of people (WOW!!! that sounds cocky). Yet i feel if i have that mindset i can do just about anything. My problem is that i can't control how my kids are going to react. I can teach up a storm, i can chat your ear off. How you react and respond to that is something i can't control, only pursuade. I was not being judged on my ability to stand and shine, i was being observed to see how i can teach the information, how i get those fragile little minds to actually see my wavelength and catch it..

My lesson was on prairie dogs, yes gophers!.. The cute little rodents that eat my mothers potatoes, and the same ones that my dad snipes from the deck. Okay he doesn't snipe them. my father is a seasoned killer, i swear there are stories about him in the gopher world, legends and myths about the house with the peaked roof. Every year he kills more, sadly (for the gophers) he is becoming more efficient and his range is improving. All i had to do was to remember NOT to tell the kids this information, or that i would swerve my car to hit the cute cuddly little creatures.

My class is also amazing. The kids are pretty simply stunning (texas with a $ sign), they are smart, they are cute, and they sometimes speak in robotic voices.. HOW could i fail?..

i can't tie a tie!

The other guys that preceeded me in teaching an open class both showed up open class day decked out to the nines. I think we should force stephen to teach the last open classes. ZZ Top wrote a song about the guy for heaven's sake. (sharp dressed man.. for those of you who aren't musically literate)

For some reason i decided to bring every tie i own (three if you are wondering). I've never actually tied any of them myself,and i undid all the knots when i packed them. I'm not smart, i'm aware of this. SO the morning of the open class i spent most of my time convinced that a properly tied tie will illuminate my students and force them to act accordingly. How did i solve this problem? I googled it! 'how to tie a tie'. 3 websites 4 failed attempts and numerous curse words later, i finally got it! I tied my first EVER tie. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but i tied the shit outta that tie.

With my newfound confidence i walked in and killed the open class. I had those kids at hello, they hung onto and responded to almost every word. They performed eerily like the robotic voices they sometimes throw my direction.

I swear it was the tie, i have no evidence to the support the contrary. That was like the 'knot' in the 'tie'. I could have done anything in that tie, conquered the normans, anything, you name it!. And i did, i untied it, and i've got two more open classes in may..

dumbass!