the wardrobe malfunction

October 16, 2012 at 6:00 am · Filed under stories and tagged: embarrassing moments, school, teaching

< by Brennan >

Showing off your undergarments is a personal, intensely private experience. When was the last time you tried on underwear and walked out of the dressing room to ask for an opinion? Dreamt you got to school in your skivvies just as the bell rang?

Teaching a classroom of 28 second graders can lead to some rather hectic moments. Each child is like their own individual roller coaster, twists and turns coming when you least expect them, never quite sure what is coming next. It gives yield to some amazing moments of emotion and sympathy, anger, and frustration. And that’s just from the teacher.

Caught up in a particularly passionate moment of explaining long division — you would be surprised how energized the sensation of remembering basic math can make you feel — I lost control of my eraser; it clattered to the floor. Bending down to pick it up, I realized my shirt had come untucked in the back and my pants were a little loose a moment too late. The damage was done.

Embarrassment comes in many forms, but redemption is universally sweet. As my kids left for the day, one of my students pulled me down and whispered: “It’s ok, Mr. Lowery. I like SpongeBob too.”

Photo by RLEVANS

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