There’s a Devil Worshiper in My Class?

Sometimes the knowledge you are looking for is in a book or class, and sometimes it maybe right around the corner sitting in a tree nibbling a nut.

All adults have encountered situations in their jobs that make us scratch our heads and wonder why our teachers, “never taught us that in college.” As a teacher working with rowdy middle school students, probably much like you. I seem to encounter more of these situations than in any other job I ever had. And believe me, I have had many diverse and some pretty crappy jobs in my life- from telemarketer (ok I only lasted two hours at that job but it seemed like a never-ending nightmare) to restaurant work, and manual labor.

One situation in particular will always remind me that many times experience is the best education in life. Yes, a teacher is saying, “You don’t learn everything in a class.”

It was my first year teaching, September and still ninety degrees outside, which meant a hundred and ninety in my third room floor with its one 75 year old window I could pry open with the help of the teacher next door, Mrs. Stewart. We were studying symbolism so I decided to do a fun lesson (what teachers consider fun could fill a whole other article) and have my students bring in an item from home for a “Show and Tell” presentation on how the item represents who they are.

There were many items I expected such as:
- A porcelain doll because her grandmother gave it to her and she “Loved her granny”
- An Eminem CD because “He is hot and I love him!”
- To a football because the “Broncos rule and the Raiders suck”

But I got one item I was not expecting and for which my classes to become a teacher never prepared me to face.

It was my last period, so at this point I had little sixth graders passing out from the heat or at least whining every two seconds that “It’s tooooooooooo hot!” “Mr. can I go get a drink of water?” was asked every two seconds by boys and girls. All hoping I would finally give-up and say “yes.” (Don’t think teachers and parents aren’t aware of the many tricks you discuss and plot with your friends, siblings, and classmates to make us snap and finally give-in.)

It now was Tammy’s turn so I called her up to the front for her presentation. She confidently walked to the front and placed her black backpack with a big Hello Kitty onto the table. She proceeded to take out a pair of yellow rubber dishwashing gloves and pull them all the way up to her little elbows. I thought, “Oh good an art project of some sort.”

Next, she pulled out a white kitchen trash bag and began to slowly unravel it. The kids on the floor huddled around her on their knees, anxious to see what was in there. I was getting excited at this point too. She dug around the bottom and slowly Tammy pulled out a flat brownish object that I could not make out. It must be clay and she is going to sculpt something for us, I thought.

I was the last to see. Immediately there were sixth graders hurling themselves away from the front, not caring who was trampled. Brittney and Marissa shrieked, probably shattering glass in the homes across the street, and joined the exodus. Slower ones were trapped in the mass evacuation their legs and arms entangled in chairs or tables as notebooks and papers rained down on them.

When I finally got a glimpse of her symbol, I realized what all the chaos was about. It was a dead squirrel probably flattened by a garbage truck two weeks earlier. I froze! I didn’t know what to do; I didn’t want to make her feel bad, the kids had done a pretty good job of that, but all I could think was “Holy crap, she worships the devil or is in some sort of cult!” In my novice, I just graduated college mind, I calmed the kids down and let her continue on with her presentation. It turned out she and her mother love animals and bury them all, family pet or road kill, in their backyard.

Later the absurdity and my lack of experience struck me and all I could think was: “This rotten, flat, missing a leg, smelly, decomposing rodent had been traveling around the school wrapped in a plastic bag and tucked in a backpack for an entire summer day.”

I thought I was a horrible teacher but soon realized I had to relax and realize I don’t know everything and need to learn each day with and from my students.

I continue to read and take classes for teachers to become better at my job and most of all, looking for what to do when a student brings in a maggot filled surprise for Show and Tell.