There are certain establishments that I refuse to go to, on the grounds that my students work in them. I prefer, during the summer, to pretend that I am an incredibly wealthy heiress who doesn't know what it's like to work for a living, and it's hard to do that when I go to the movies and six different people yell out, "Hey Ms. Flower!" before the opening credits.
But I can't just refuse to go to WalMart, because that would be impossible. So it was that, last night, I went off to my favorite place to buy some food. And on the way out, I stopped at the little in-store Subway, because: Two-for-Tuesday. You know.
So the Sandwich Artist (that's what they call themselves) was putting my turkey-on-wheat together and then asks, "Do you remember me? From Randomville High School?"
Well, crap. I have taught 150 kids a year, over a three year period, PLUS I taught there for two years when I first graduated from college. If I remember MY OWN NAME, I count that as a victory.
I politely said, "No, I'm sorry," but inside my head I was far less gracious.
"Honey," I thought, "I'm still trying to figure out if you are a girl or a boy."
Ms. Mei Flower
- Mei
- I'm a spinster schoolmarm with a degree in English; I watch artsy movies about British people; I knit while watching the History Channel; I listen to NPR in the car; I eat frozen dinners on the couch. Is that stereotypical enough for you? No? Well, then ... and I have a cat.
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4 comments:
Very funny!
I run into current and former students all of the time because I live in the community in which I teach. Sometimes I wish I didn't, though. It would be nice to do something very out there and very anonymously if the urge hit me. Guess it's a good thing that I'm pretty straight-laced.
Phew! I'm not the only one. I have yet to ENTIRELY forget a child who acknowledges recognizing me, but I usually keep it under 150 every year too.
PS Thanks for the award nod!
Ms. Whatsit - we have actually had faculty meetings on how to conduct ourselves in public. Mostly, we were told to watch it with the alcohol; also, if we were seen in a strip club, it would be best--if one of the strippers was a student--if we didn't look.
Laura - S/he told me that s/he'd never been in one of my classes, so I'm off the hook for that one!
I don't live in the town where I teach (pop. 2100), but the town where I live is the "urban center" (12,000) for several communities including my school's town. (Was that a complicated sentence?) I run into kids all the time, mostly at the store, but never the strip club (not one here, and they are all under 12 any way).
I have been teaching 8 years (over 400 students total) and my first sixth graders are going to be sophomores in college. I don't always recognize them, but they more often don't recognize me.
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