I have the privilege of being a special educator. I work with students who have mild/moderate disabilities. No, they are not “lower or slower” than other students. They learn differently. Most of my students (hell, most students nowadays) don’t do well in a traditional classroom where they are required to listen to an hour-long lecture, read the textbook cover to cover, and take chapter tests assessing their mastery of a particular subject.

My students learn phonemic awareness by playing hopscotch. They learn how to write expository paragraphs by moving color-coded strips around until it makes sense. They learn the meaning of feudalism by acting out a system of hierarchy. Some of my students make connections that I had never even thought of. Because the information is presented in a different way. Because it’s presented in a way that makes sense to them. 

The thing I love most about my job is that it is always interesting. There are always those teachable moments. Those moments that don’t get written down in our lesson plans, but are equally as important – if not more important – than the content we teach. 

I tried to embark on this journey down “Teachable Moment Lane” when a student struck up a conversation with me about about the different forms of bullying. He said, “Ms. B – someone told me that ignoring others  can be a form of bullying.” I used his lead-in to continue our conversation and said that excluding others and always using “inside jokes” can be a form of bullying. After I made that statement, the student looked confused. I knew this was one of my literal thinkers so I wanted to make sure he understood me before I continued. I asked him if he knew what “inside jokes” were. With a completely serious look on his face, he responded with, “jokes that aren’t about the great outdoors and nature?” 

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. What a terrible teacher, I know. But you’ve gotta admit – this has got to be one of the most interesting, keep-you-on-your-toes-CONSTANTLY kind of a job. I love working with these students. Because they challenge me to think differently. They inspire me to view things from different perspectives. I am learning alongside my students and am loving every single one of these moments.

***********************************************

 Kids really do say the darnest things. Share your funny teacher moments below!