What Does THE TEACHER Look Like???

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On this First Day of April, 2011 I'm republishing and linking this post to the "No Rules Linky Party" over at Wit Behind the Ears. If you look VERY CLOSELY at the last few pictures on this post, you will find The April Fool herself! Enjoy.

It happened to me again this week.

TWICE.

I was out somewhere in public and someone asked me if I was a teacher.

That's what I get for going out in public.

But it begs the question, just WHAT does a teacher look like? AND what teacher-thing have I got going on that I am IMMEDIATELY recognized as one????

I mean, on NEITHER of those two occasions was I spouting tundra/taiga comparisons nor explaining why frozen water is less dense than liquid!! Why, I wasn't even talking about genes and punnett squares!


Perhaps I was exuding "mean" teacher vibes, though I didn't have my yardstick with me at the time, so couldn't fly away on it.


Or perhaps the aura of mad scientist was surrounding my head - - - though I left all my beakers and erlenmeyer flasks back in the laboratory when they closed down my school.


No, I suspect the "teacher identifier gene" is something much less prominent,

Much more elusive

Than yard sticks, chalk, or even erlenmeyer flasks.

I suspect it is more a matter of the heart,

A "joie de vivre" if you will

Of all things education.

And I further suspect

That on many school days

In many classrooms across the nation

The teacher didn't necessarily look like THE TEACHER,

But instead had an entirely DIFFERENT look goin' on.

And I also suspect that THIS teacher is missing her trade now that her school doors are closed.

And missing her students.

And missing her colleagues.

And missing her whole Lakeview family.

(Photo credit: "Mean Teacher" photo from blippitt.com)

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