Teaching with Peanut Butter

Last week I created a lasting teaching memory. A story I will tell for many years.

This semester I teach three classes back to back in the same building of my office. Between classes I drop off papers, collect books for the next class, and check my email. On this particular day I also stuck a fork into a large almost empty jar of peanut butter and crammed a forkful into my mouth.

Some ended up on my nose. And I went to teach my next class.

I taught for the full 50 minutes when at the end of the class, the student who will now be assured an A, told me that I had something on my nose.

Before the class left, I scolded them and one student said that because it was Ash Wednesday, he didn't want to mention it since I could be part of some sort of strange denomination that marks the nose with something brown instead of the forehead with ash.

I do so like this class.

But it's important to create the type of class environment where students aren't afraid to tell the teacher she is ridiculous.