Time Flies

Here's one way of knowing that you might be classified as a veteran teacher -- when your students are clueless about world events that were current events the last time you taught the class, because they were too young then to really be paying attention.

During our WWI lesson today, we talked about how anti-German sentiment led to the renaming of certain foods -- Sauerkraut became Liberty Cabbage and Hamburger became Salisbury Steak. I remembered the last time I had taught that lesson was right around the time of Freedom Fries -- remember that from the 2003 invasion of Iraq? Right on, always good to be able to make a connection with current events! I was shocked when almost none of my students knew what Freedom Fries were ... and then it struck me: back when I was first teaching, my current students were only 10 years old. Of course most of them don't remember Freedom Fries! My current event has become history already.... I feel so old.....

And on another note, here is my challenging question of the week, or in other words, a question where the only safe answer really is, "Ask your parents."

Asked in complete seriousness while watching a WWI film -- "Miss Morello, if a soldier kills somebody in a war, does he go to hell for it?"

Try to answer that one truthfully and non-offensively in a room full of 16 year old Catholics!