Thing: Well I Declare

Hey guys. To use a line from Arnold’s movie, The Terminator, ” I’m back.”

Back in the day when I was teaching school ( yes, we did have electricity) it was imperative on the first day of class to establish an air of student empowerment. In layman’s terms, ” you think, I think, we think”. As my class of thirty settled into ” Introduction of Health 101″ I opened with the following, ” A mind is a terrible thing to waste”. Between the ” thinking thing and the terrible mind thing”, I was staring at thirty deer in the headlights faces.

Grouping for some form of follow up, from the back of the room a hand goes up. ” Yes Willard, you have a question”?

” Hey teach (lovingly) you are saying you are going to do my thinking and I am going to do your thinking”? ” Then I’m thinking you just give us all A’s and don’t bother us with the bones in the body or all the blood type stuff”.

Of course the room erupted in laughter. Trying to regain control of thirty freshman students is like trying to herd cats into a cage.

” Willard you are partially right. What I want to do is present the class with subjects that creates discussion from your perspective. Here is an example”.

“Everyone look at your fingertips. Would you believe that in the whole world no one has fingertips identical to yours”?

Willard again, ” So when my uncle was booked at the county jail and fingerprinted, no one has the same fingertips”?

“Yes”

Willard, ” wonder if my uncle knew that when he broke into the auto parts store”.

As if by magic everyone began to examine their fingertips. It was like a “flash mob” broke out. The students began to compare their fingertips with other students.

Realizing the sudden interest, my light bulb went from dim to bright. ( side note–if you are older than thirty you can remember chalk, a chalk board, and chalk erasers. If you are younger than thirty you are probably having a ” what moment”.) I proceeded to take the chalk eraser and tap a light film on the chalkboard.

” Who wants to check out their fingerprints”?

After a small chalk storm, all thirty students had pressed their fingertips on the board”.

Willard again, ” Hey teach what about our palms, do they only belong to me”?

” Great question Willard, that is tomorrow’s assignment”.

Willard again, ” hey teach are we going to do feet”?

Well I declare, we do think.

Be safe.