People are being very thankful today on Facebook, which is nice.
One of my friends gave a shout out to high school teachers, and I couldn’t agree more!
I attended public school, and even during my high school years, my teachers easily spent half of their time disciplining students. Corporal punishment was still enforced back in my day, so lots of students were sent to the principal to get ‘licks.’
But some of the more creative teachers took a different route.
My personal favorite?
I had an English teacher who would stick a kid who was misbehaving behind the bookcase and make them stand there for the rest of the class.
Yep. This actually happened.
One kid — who shall remain nameless — stuck his arms and legs through the shelves and turned the bookshelves over on the rest of the classroom.
Come to think of it — that was the last time I saw her use that method.
The squirrel whisperer
Students in my college courses can attest to my habit of using unusual examples to illustrate concepts during class. One of my favorites?
Squirrels
It began innocently enough. A student asked a question, and as I was trying to think of a good analogy, I spied a squirrel outside the classroom window.
So I went there.
And I liked where it went. Now future classes have heard me use the squirrel in various analogies ever since. Yes, they give me strange looks at first. But they eventually come around…or, I like to think so.
Not actual robosquirrel used (but wouldn’t it be awesome??)
Which is why I greeted the story of the ‘robosquirrel,’ a biology project at San Diego State University focused on predator/prey interaction, with much affection.
I know it has gained national attention because of its $325,000 price tag, and its funding from the National Science Foundation, and ultimately, taxpayer dollars.
I’m not here to debate all that.
I just want to say, to any of my former students who may be reading this blog…
SEE??? Squirrel stories work.
They really do.
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Posted in Animals, College, Commentary, Education, Humor, Life, Writing
Tagged analogy, animals, biology project, classroom, college, college courses, commentary, communications, concepts, education, examples, Humor, life, National Science Foundation. taxpayer dollars, predator prey interaction, robosquirrel, San Diego State University, squirrels, students, writing