October 15, 2010

My B-day kids offered to beat up my A-day, 2-block kids for saying I was boring and all we ever did was take notes. I’m not sure whether to feel flattered or slightly alarmed… LOL.

To make my day even stranger, two of my football players asked if I would adopt them. They even sweetened the deal by promising to do chores! I told them their odds would improve significantly if they were cats.

 

November 11, 2010
Yesterday, I was teaching about the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan and casually mentioned how fascinating I find this period of Japanese history.

One student asked, “Do you speak Japanese?”
And I—being the consummate smart-ass—replied, “Of course I do: Domo arigato, Mister Roboto!”

Only one student got the reference, but he laughed so hard I thought he might rupture a spleen.

 

November 16, 2010
Me: “Well, I guess you’d wake up deader than you went to bed!”
Student: “Don’t you mean ‘more dead’?”
Me: “I commit a heinous logical fallacy by implying a clearly two-position state has degrees, and you take exception to semantics?”
Student: “Oh, I get the hyperbole, but the least you can do is be grammatically correct.”

I couldn’t decide whether to hug him or smack him… LOL.

 

November 18, 2010
I tripped over a backpack. Not a minor stumble, but a Riqui-sized trip that ended with me landing squarely on my ass.

Twenty-one students visibly struggled not to laugh, their little inner demons fighting a fierce battle. One student, however, was across the room and offering me a hand before I even stopped moving. Manners: not completely dead.

Although, I did stare at his hand for about 30 seconds thinking, “Huh, what’s this for?” because I was so taken aback.

 

February 4, 2011
This week, I surveyed my students about which activities they liked or disliked last semester.

One response under “liked” stood out: LARPing the French Revolution.

Now I’m trying to figure out which of us is the bigger geek: him, for referring to my role-playing activity as “LARPing” (Live Action Role Playing), or me, for actually designing a LARP activity about the French Revolution.

 

May 5, 2011
Student quote of the day: “Mrs. Gardner, you seem uptight today. You need to chill. I’m gonna buy you a 40.”

I teach 10th graders…

 

May 10, 2011
As you know, I promised to dye my hair whatever color the kids choose if they hit a pass rate of 90% or better. I was prepared for magenta, purple, even blue. But no.

Two of my classes joined forces to form a voting block and chose the single most torturous option: Octogenarian Golden Girls Grey.

I really do hate them.

 

Final Thoughts

Teaching 10th graders is nothing short of an adventure. It’s a rollercoaster of hilarity, absurdity, and moments that make you question your life choices—but honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

From debating hyperbole to tripping over backpacks, from LARPing revolutions to battling Golden Girls-inspired revenge plots, these kids keep me on my toes and laughing through the chaos.

But beyond the chaos and the comedy, these moments are where the real magic happens. Building relationships with students—earning their trust, sharing a laugh, and showing them that their quirks and humor matter—creates a bond that transforms the classroom into something more. It’s not just a space for learning; it’s a space for connection, understanding, and the kind of mutual respect that makes even Golden Girls grey hair worth it.

 

1. 1. Teachers: What’s the funniest or most unexpected thing a student has ever said to you?

 

• • If you had to dye your hair any color as part of a student bet, what would you choose—and why?

 

• • For everyone: Have you ever experienced a “you need to chill” moment from someone younger? How did you handle it?