My predecessor in the Middle School social studies position basically gave me all his materials and powerpoints when he left the Middle School two years ago. One of them was this great lecture for the 6th grade on what some of the major gaps are in Evolution. Because he was still around last year, I had him come guest lecture on that day, and the kids ate it up, even though the content was at a very high level for them.
This year, he was gone, but I really wanted the kids to have this lecture and not just from me. I knew with it begin somewhat difficult material, they would zone out after 20 minutes. So, on Tuesday, I announced that we would be having a very special guest speaker on Thursday: Dr. Finkelbaumer. The class began peppering me with questions about her - what she looked like, what her first name was, if she was a Christian, etc - and they were genuinely excited to have this science Dr. come to their class.
By Thursday morning, I felt pretty guilty because truthfully there was no Dr. Finkelbaumer. As class started, they looked around frantically. "Where was she?!" I slipped into the closet to "call her," and then proceeded to make a costume change and put on some nerd glasses my friend owns. I hiked up my skirt to my chest, put on mismatched shoes, tied up my hair in a bun, and emerged as made-up Dr. Doris Finkelbaumer. I wish I had taped their reactions. Some snorted, one put his head in his hands and shook it, and the rest looked seriously disappointed while I thought, "What kind of a horrible, lying teacher am I!?"
Anyway, the basic idea for the plan worked. 90% of the class stayed with me as I lectured about Darwinian gaps and all these new evolutionary concepts, and they dutifully took their notes and asked tons of questions as we went. They did also spend the rest of the day accusing me, Ms. Custer, of impersonating the famous Dr. Finkelbaumer, and I had to defend the crazy scientific possibility that we could look so much alike! :-)
If she ever comes to class again, I'll take a picture next time.
1 comment:
I want you for my teacher!
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