Non-sooty kettle days

And then there are days I want to cry for other reasons

Student A to Student B as I was walking out:

“Do you know what I love about English? ... No tests.”

Upper 6 student – yes, of the ones I love, who has been doing English for 6 years and who chose the subject for A-Level as one of her 3 subjects to study for 2 years:

“Miss Bell, something has been bothering me. What is Literature? I know what Accounts is, but what is Literature?”

Me: --------.

Me: “I know you’re tired and its hot and it’s after lunch [who ever thought that lessons after lunch in Zimbabwe were a good idea?] but I have to teach you and you have to learn.”

“Can’t we all just sit? We can learn communication skills.”

Written on the board by Form 2 teaching her new vocab word to the class: “willy”.

Me: [hmm… student teaching never quite prepares you fully. What would Mr Vande Kopple do?]

Student on board: "Definition: cunning.”

Me: [Phew.] “Ruth, there’s only one L.”

Me: “And that is the end of the lesson.”

Class: Applause.

But I suppose you can’t have the sooty-kettle days without a whole lot of non-sooty kettle days in between.