Fired??

After the success of the last “reading” in AP, I decided to see if I could find success a second time. However, the second time I was looking for success a couple of different levels. Let me explain. My department chair came into my classroom one day last week to drop off the newest edition of the AP book. He set the book down on my desk right next to my accumulating pile of children’s books. Giving a strange look, he asked what I was doing with all of these books? I told him in no uncertain terms, “I am bring AP down to their level.” His response was nothing short of inspiring… “That’s a good way to get yourself fired.” I thought, “hmmm promise?” Now the scheduling of events could not have turned out any better. You see I had promised the students that we would do a Darwin vs. Dr. Seuss activity on Friday. They were all hyped up and reminded me of my promise everyday for about a week. That was until they found out that the principal was going to be observing our class on Friday. Then all I heard were cries of concern that he would ruin it, because “he would not let them sit on the floor!!” I told them that he was going to be there to observe me NOT them, and that he wants to see how we operate on any normal day; we are not going to change our behaviors just because he will be there.

The day of the possible termination of my job came with great anticipation and angst. The class began with a continuation of our previous day’s lecture about the evolution of evolution and Darwin’s “Origin of Species.” It ended with “Darwin vs. Dr. Seuss” with the reading of “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” I pulled my chair around to the front of the room, only find glaring, questioning eyes staring back at me, begging for permission to come up an sit on the floor. Their little beady eyes were going back and forth between me and the principal and then their worksheet, and back to me, practically in unison much like a choreographed dance. Finally, I whispered in hushed tones, that they are welcome to get comfortable, and then I began reading. About the second page of the book there was a swarming of students making a mad dash to the floor at the front of the room.

The principal could not believe his eyes. In fact this morning was my post conference meeting with him in which we discuss what happened, what he saw, suggestions or concerns….he said to me, “I was in awe when you started reading and 18 year, top of the class, most mature students in the school ran at you to find a place on the floor, like they were in second grade! How did you know that would work out so well?” I then had to confess that it was not the first time we have participated in just such an event, that in fact it is our most favorite thing and we try to do it as often as we can…actually the students have begun their own lists of possible books to read…searching for any possible, no matter how remote, connection to science! When he leaned back in his chair with a big grin on his face, I knew my chances of being fired were slim to none!