Oh The Wierdness!

Wierdness = "of a strikingly odd or unusual character, strange" (Free Online Dictionary)

So there I was, in a 2nd grade class, taking attendance and about to start the homework check, when I noticed that one of the two young girls sitting at their desks in front of my teacher's table had something in her mouth, a pen cap or something.

"Helen," I said, looking at her and motioning with my hand, "Please take that out of your mouth.  It's dangerous."

Probably she didn't know the word "dangerous", but she knew what I was talking about, for she spit out the pen cap into her hand.

Helen is nice, I like her, but she is a bit strange, in part because she is one of those students I get every so often who make noises instead of speaking.  She likes to entertain herself and her partner by making sounds, and it can be entertaining for a short time, but it is worrisome from a teacher's perspective because her English skills will fall behind if she keeps it up.

When I looked at her next, however, that was the least of my worries.

Perhaps because of some push-back, or perhaps for additional entertainment--but probably a mix of the two--she moved to the next level: her pencil case.

She pulled a pen out of the case and proceeded to lick it.

Then on to the next pen or pencil.  And so on through the entire contents of the pencil case.

I was mute, rendered speechless, for I have never, ever had a student do such a thing, disgustingly dirty yet also funny in a strange sort of way, largely because she seemed to be enjoying the behavior and the attention that it might attract.

"Helen," I asked, pointing at the floor, "Do you lick that?"

She shook her head "No."

"No," I said, "it's dirty.  Your pen is dirty.  Your pencils are dirty.  Don't do that . . ."

I think she got the message.

And some people think that all I do is teach English.

I like variety in my classes, but that kind I can do without.