The One Where I Tooted..

Here is a teaching story that I will never forget, I lost all self-respect but at the same time gained some, too.

As I'm lecturing my students on hallway manners for the umpteenth time and swear that if they don't learn it, Im going to take them to the Pre-k hallway and have them learn from the 'little people', I have them lined up in a strait line against the book shelf and am lecturing, lecturing, lecturing. You know, how the good teachers do it.

I should have pre-tensed this story that this is also the day before I was going to run my first 1/2 marathon. I was drowning my insides with more than usual water and a ton of fiber, because you know, that's what runners do.

Back to my story. So as I'm lecturing, you all of a sudden hear a long 'pooooo'. Not a subtle fluff, but a toot that comes out of a babies bottom when they get excited scooting across the floor reaching for that shiny toy that they have never seen before. I tried to recover but it was obvious, that not so silent toot came from me. My students all had a grin on their faces and without moving their heads were trying to look at each other with their eyes and doing everything they can to control their laughter.

I tried to recover but even I couldn't hold in my laughter. I kept talking but I just couldn't go on with my serious lecture. I looked at them and just said, 'next time you toot, you remember that your teacher did one day and there is no reason to be embarrassed.' The classroom erupted in laughter. Nobody had a strait face and I can't blame them, I wouldn't have been able to either. I told them it's ok, President Obama toots, I toot, everyone toots, so there is no reason to have shame. One of my precious students raised their hands and asked if I'd stop saying toot because it weirds them out. I then politely asked if they wouldn't go home and tell their parents.

So, that is the day I tooted. Never a dull moment in 5th grade.