Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Kicking It Old School

And so, for another semester, it is the end of the End Of Instruction testing. Today, we entertained a special guest star. Or should I say, he entertained me.

We had a sub today serving as a monitor for testing. His job was to walk around with me, handing out pencils and kleenex, making sure that no errant bubbling of bubbles took place.

His other job was to baffle me completely.

We go to breakfast, and he is full of questions.

"Is this breakfast standard at all schools?"
"No, at least I don't think so.
We just do it to better prepare our kids to sit and test and it also shows that
testing is important to us. We hope it gives them a good sendoff."
"Harumph.
I just read an article about how we coddle kids. We hand them everything, even
in college, and they don't really grow up until they're 30.
"Hmmm...there
might be some truth to that, but by the time they're 15, part of that damage is
already done. I'm not unlikely to fix everything that might be wrong. I think I
have to find a balance between challenge and encouragement."
"So tell
me...(he leans in conspiratorially)...is it true that the Orientals are your
ideal students?"

I fight the urge to tell the gentleman that Orientals are rugs and Asians are people.

We move on to the breakfast line. He is giving all the students the once-over.

"So do the girls not ever wear dresses anymore?"
"Oh, sometimes. Not very often, I guess"
I do want credit for not informing the gentleman that we don't bind the feet of the girls either. Instead, I tell him...
"I will venture a guess that you've never worn a dress, they aren't very
comfortable, you know. I think these girls go more for comfort."


Back in the testing room, the man read the paper the entire time while I (wearing a very uncomfortable dress, by the way) did all of the walking around the room. I think he was pleased to see that I was knitting while I monitored. And that I wore a dress.

3 comments:

"Ms. Cornelius" said...

If my students saw me in a dress, they would faint.

And then, with my luck, a fight would break out right next to me.

My male colleague told me this year-- with a straight face-- that I should have gotten a condolence card and passed it around the department when a colleague's father passed away, because "that's a woman's job." ISTG!

The Crib Chick said...

Do you guys go through anything like Sensitivity Training? It sounds like he could be the equivalent of a Secret Shopper, trying to bait someone into politically incorrect talk.

At least, we can *hope* that's it, right?

I guess the boys don't wear neckties much anymore, do they? *Eyeroll*

Heck, let's bring back the corset!!

educat said...

You know what I thought, and too late:

"I just saw Pride and Prejudice a couple of weeks ago and I don't know...there's just something about the breeches those men wore that spoke to me. Don't men wear those anymore?"

I should have channeled you, Crib. It sounds like something you'd think of too late also.