jess: stories from classrooms

Fate definitely brought Krista and I together. She fought against it, but when you are meant to be someone’s friend you can’t get away. Our freshman year of college we had a class together – Foundations of Education. Let’s just mention here that I am a shy person. Not as much now, but back then I was a quiet girl. During that class I sat by Krista and I remember specifically trying to make conversation. She fought against this, apparently I looked shady? The friendship did not actually develop until she ended up living across the hall from me our junior year. At this point she could not escape me. I was bound and determined to make her my friend. Of course, she didn’t really remember being in class with me, which is unfortunate for her because I remember everything. Like the blue watch she had freshman year. I just thought the world should know that the reason Krista and I are friends is A) because obviously we are meant to be and B) she couldn’t get away from me and my persuasive ways!

I thought to end this blog I would leave you with some stories from my classroom. I teach high school English to sophomores through seniors. There are many instances where I am attempting to teach them something and they get distracted.

While writing a newspaper article about The Great Gatsby:
Dallas: Could I write this with a British accent?
Me: How would you do that?
Dallas: I could use words like chap and fellow…

Discussing Emily Dickinson:
Ms. Rabe, what’s your inseam?

I came back to my classroom from study hall to find my 4th period class staring at the locked door. Apparently they thought that if all of them thought hard enough about the door unlocking that it actually would. This is a semi-educational moment because they got the idea from Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.

During part of The Great Gatsby there is a section where Gatsby and Daisy (his lost love) meet again for the first time in 5 years. The class I had contained twenty-two 17 year old boys which meant that they jumped to the conclusion that Daisy and Gatsby automatically hopped into bed together the moment Nick (organized the meeting) left the cabin. In response to that I told them that I thought they were probably talking and playing checkers. The rest of the year the boys came up with tons of reasons to ask if someone was “playing checkers”. That was last year and they still like to bring that up!

In my two years of teaching I have been asked to prom quite a few times. It’s probably because they’ve heard about my awesome dance skills. My favorite moment while being asked to prom went a little like this:
Tyler: Ms. Rabe, will you go to prom with me?
(Because I am sometimes hard of hearing I thought he said Ms. Rabe what’s the problem with me?)
Me: You want me to name just one problem?
Tyler: What?
Me: You asked what your problem was…
Tyler: No, I asked you to go to prom with me, but thanks for letting me know I have lots of problems.
-Good teacher moment.

I know I have a few other stories that are probably better than these, but in my old age I can’t seem to remember them!

*Blog owner's note: What is your inseam, really?