When did I get old? My own daughter recently pointed out that my glasses are like those the “very old people” wear – with the line across them. My husband pointed out that now, with these specs, I can see all the gray hair I am getting.
As for my students, well, they are nothing if not honest! I am grateful every day for having been blessed with a sense of humor! Children are, I believe, built to keep us humble and laughing. Sometimes, however, their honesty has me changing my routines. One change came about with the beginning of school and my “getting to know you” session. The kids ask me questions about things from how many kids do I have to how long have I been teaching to what kind of pets I own. They also ask me my age. I used to try and fool them. Now…I just tell them outright. The alternative…well…can be quite ego damaging!
Each year, my students want to know how old I am. My responses have ranged from 19 up to 125. It was fun to watch them try to figure out my age. I have usually been pleased with the student responses as they were within a couple of years either way.
Last year, however, I discovered I am apparently not holding up very well. As usual, they wanted to know how old I am. I responded with 108. The kids all laughed and said no way, because I don’t look old enough. Thank goodness for that!
This went on in every class and in every class different guesses were made. However, unlike previous years, the guesses were a little….well….high. I maintained my humor, however, and kept plugging away while reminding myself of the fact that these are kids who probably are just lousy at guessing ages.
Then, the worst happened. One class was having fun with the guessing as I had told them I was 124. They were actually discussing whether or not it was possible! One young man, however, leapt to my defense, declaring “No way she’s that old! She doesn’t look a day over 50!” He’s right. I’m not even quite 40 yet!
Maybe it’s the glasses?
Christine Moore currently holds a degree from Howard Payne University and is actively working toward a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Married with four children, Christine teaches 6th grade reading in Brownwood and has been working in education at various levels for the past 14 years. Her husband, Jeremy, owns a local company that specializes in web design, custom computer builds, and on-location repair called DreamSoft Design at www.dreamsoftdesign.com. Christine welcomes your questions and comments and would love to hear from you!