Humor on the Job

As a teacher, I have a lot of things that can be quite funny. Middle school is a funny age. You don't get the innocent humor of elementary school, but they still have a little bit of that raw hilarity in them. You know it. It's the kind where they don't even try to be funny, but it turns out being absolutely hilarious.

Because we've all been in middle school before. We all know that feeling of trying almost anything to fit in, but yet you want to try so hard to be individualized too. Middle school has to be the hardest years to encounter.

And I've got to hand it to my students. They truthfully do it in an amazing manner. They are such awesome kids. The things that they accomplish would stun you. I'm so proud of these kids.

When I tell people what I do for a living they look at me like I'm crazy. When I was in college and people asked me what I wanted to do with my life and replied with being a middle school teacher, they thought I had lost a few brain cells during my college years.

But it is the coolest age. They are awesome students. I love my job. I love seeing the transformation of a 7th grader from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year. But what's even cooler is seeing that same 7th grader after summer break and then not hardly being able to recognize them because they are SO different.

And what's even greater than that is the appreciation that a student will show you at school, but then when you see them at the mall they turn a blind eye to you and act like they don't know who you are.

Alright, so maybe that one hurts a little bit.

But anyways, most of the situations that happen at school you have to be there to think they are funny. All but a few you have to know who the student is to really appreciate it.

However, yesterday I encountered a student who made a comment that I appreciated. I ran it by Nate, got a chuckle out of him, and thought okay! Maybe this actually is a good story and one that I'll share with you.

A girl completed her assignment in my class and wandered up to my desk. She stood there for a second, contemplated her statement, and then belted it out.

Student: Hey Mrs. Myers? Mr. Hollett (another Tri-North teacher) said that you guys all make, like, $$$ every two weeks.

Me: Well, he wasn't that far off.

Student: Really?

Me: Well, kind of.

Student: (After a few moments of contemplation) Wow! I thought you guys didn't make much money! That's a lot!

And that's when I had to chuckle at her. Because there's a couple things that you can take from this statement.

First of all, you have to love the innocence of it. The absolute purity of her statement. Because to this girl, $$$ was enough money to live on for a good 2-3 months. At least! She was astounded that I could pull in that kind of cash!

Second of all, wouldn't you love to go back to have the perspective of a kid? I think back to where I was in middle school. My biggest worry was what flannel shirt I was going to wear to match my overalls.

Don't laugh.

It was in style then.

I worried about how I was going to get all the way to the movie theater in Linton on Saturday night. Where, exactly, to hang my Jonathan Taylor Thomas poster. If I would be home to watch TGIF television. How I could convince my Mom and Dad that I needed that new boom box.

I didn't worry about money. Or bills. Or if my kid's runny nose was going to turn into yet another ear infection.

I didn't worry about what we were going to be having for dinner and how it was going to get cooked. Who was going to feed the dog when I was out of town, or better yet, how in the world was I going to find the time to clean my house?

Oh how I wish my only cleaning responsibility was one room again...

Anyways, it's amazing how much your life changes. How the worries of a middle schooler seemed so important, so imperative at the time.

Little did we know what would meet us later in life.

Oh the beauty of middle school.