Holly: Ms. Mystery, what's a "pole?"
In my head: [DID YOU REALLY JUST ASK ME WHAT A "POLE" IS!?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "WHAT'S A POLE?"!?
YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TEQUILA IS BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A POLE IS?!!?!]
But on the surface, my face is stoic and calm. My demeanor is motherly and forgiving.
"Oh, pole, of course. You know... think of a basketball hoop. You've got the hoop/net part, and then you have that big long thing that sticks out of the ground that its attached to. That big long thing... that's a pole."
"Ohhhhh so like a stick?" Holly says. Roberto just looks at me, wide-eyed with utter fascination.
"Uh, yea, sure. Why not."
Some teachers say there's no such thing as a stupid question. I say bullshit.
Welcome!
- Mystery Me
- I started writing this blog in 2008, toward the end of my first year of teaching. These posts about my experiences as an NYC Department of Education teacher have been (and continue to be) assembled over a period of several years. They don't necessarily need to be read in chronological order, but my very first post, "Context" (March 2008) might be useful as an introduction into this lunacy. While most of my stories highlight the ridiculousness of being a public school teacher, I should note that I love my students and care deeply for them. So as you read, please keep in mind that I do in fact have a soul, as well as a heart; and that heart of mine brims with pride every time I think about my students' talents and breaks with pain every time another one gets screwed by the system.
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