Drama in the Classroom

Drama in the Classroom 3

Everyone loathes the last period of the day. We’re burned out, tired and hungry. We just can’t wait for the bell to ring. Woes betide the teachers who have the last period. The students will be up to their antics to try to get off before the time is up even though it’s nearly time.

Last week, I had a last period. At 5 minutes to go, the students started ‘acting up’. I think I fenced their ‘reasons’ pretty well.

Student A : Teacher, it’s time to go home. I’m feeling sleepy.

Teacher : Never mind, you go ahead and sleep first.

Student B : Teacher, I’m hungry already.

Teacher : You’re starting to fast next week, right? Then, it’s good to get into practice right now.

There were sniggers by now. More and more students are watching for the ‘drama’ to unfold. Did it stop them? Nothing doing!

Student C : Teacher, it’s not a big difference anyway…

Teacher : Let me tell you a true story about what happened when I was a student.. One day, my class assistant monitor failed to turn up for school. We wondered what happened as he was considered a good student. The next day, he turned up and related to us his story. Actually, he arrived late at the school gate. As there were prefects guarding the gates, he knew that he will be trouble if he goes in. So he decided to skip school (for the first and the last time in his life). He thought about it gleefully, thinking of us bunched up in the classroom while he is free. He pedaled off and unfortunately met with an accident not far from school. He was dazed and his ankle was slightly sprained. The motorist was worried about his condition and even wanted to take him to a clinic but he declined.

(At this point, I even told the class the moral of the story is not to play truant or something bad will probably happen to them. More guffaws than ever.)

The real moral of the story is:- a teacher must also know how to be a lawyer and a storyteller.

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