Dec 21, 2012

“Madam! Do you know that the world is ending today?” is the first thing one of my students says to me this morning.

“I did Andre.” At this, several other students jump in with questions. It seems that if Madam confirmed it, it must be true.

“Is it really?” a chorus of them ask.

“Well, we’ll have to see tomorrow,” is my response. When I see the nervous looks on their faces, I understand my joke has not translated well, in many ways.

I realize that my first discussion of class today, after the date, will be why the world is not ending (although I’m not when the next time my students will use the vocabulary word “Maya”). And when you should take Madam seriously and when you shouldn’t.