tough as nails
by gillis
While watching a basketball game at school last month, I was asked by the mother of one of my students if I was a boxer. I asked her to repeat the question as I wasn’t sure I’d heard her correctly. She explained that her son had come home from school the previous day and proudly showed his mother the difference between a hook and an upper cut without prompting. When she asked him where he had learned about these punches, he happily told her I had demonstrated several punches in class that morning. I vaguely remembered doing this in response to a minor argument that had broken out between a few of the kids who were discussing how they would take care of one of the antagonists in the novel they were reading. I wanted them to be specific in their thinking and writing. If the protagonist is going to punch the antagonist, what will that punch look like? What will the puncher do with their hand and arm? What will the punchee see and feel when the hit connects? What might it all sound like? When the class asked me how I knew these punches, I shared that I sometimes take a kick boxing class at the gym.
Apparently a group of students became very interested in this and they spoke at length, over the course of several days, about my work as a boxer. They began taking notice of things that I did and said in class that corroborated their theories about my secret life as a fighter. I had noticed a new energy in the room, and I attributed it to their interest in the book and, ahem, my engaging lessons. I told the mother that I certainly wasn’t a boxer any more than I was a professional dancer for having taken dance classes. She asked me not to clear this up for her son. She wanted him to believe that I was tough as nails.
I laughed out loud when I got to the end of this post. The things kids take away from what we say in class…..
Isn’t it funny how kids put their own spin on what they hear and learn. This is classic and so worthy of writing down. Thanks for sharing this story!
I love that this mother wanted her son to see you as tough as nails. It’s hilarious what they pick up on and the assumptions they make, isn’t it? I casually mentioned that perceptions change in crisis to my 9th grade students and that I had been robbed at one point. I cannot imagine what went home!
Thanks for sharing this slice.
I also love that the mom asked you not to clear things up!
Love this! I can only imagine the conversations these boys have. You made quite an impression…and it has carried over in the learning of these boys. Love the ending…tough as nails…! Can’t wait to read more of your posts. Jackie http://familytrove.blogspot.com/
LOL! Gotta love kids and their misunderstandings.
This is so cool. Sometimes our students need to think of us as tough as a boxer. I love it. I’m sure it would have helped my authority when I was a principal!
Too funny! Bet those boys don’t act up in class any more, either!
They badger me about punches now. They are lively…
Oh my I just Laughed out Loud! I love that they think that you are a boxer and that the mom doesn’t want you to enlighten her son! Classic.