Jasonnnnn

The other day one of my students was sitting up near the front of the class copying a map off the whiteboard.  The girls behind him started whining “Jasssooonnnn!  Your head is in the WAY!  We CAN’T see over you!”  So he slouches down in the seat so that he is low enough for them to see around him but high enough that he can still draw on his own map and gets this self conscious look on his face while he mumbles, “Now I look stupid…”  The kind hearted teacher in me forgot for a moment that all of these kids are hoodlums out to party and destroy so I said to him “No Jason!  You look like a G slouched in his ride!”

First off – let’s just address how STUPID that statement would be in ANY context.  My intellect must have fallen to match the class average.

Secondly – his reaction immediately reminded me why I avoid trying to seem relevant to the students.

He sits up INSTANTLY and says loudly, turning to anyone who’ll listen “YO!  Teacher just called me G!  Did you hear that?!  She called me G!  Hey will you announce that to the whole class?  Will you tell everyone?  That’s TWO teachers today that have said I’m cool!”  I had to actively keep myself from slapping my hand to my forehead.

This story ends with the whiny girls whose vision has once again been obstructed, “Jaaassonnnnnnnn…”