You Can't Judge All Books by Their Covers

I taught a lesson at Timpview today about food webs and energy flow. I was quite nervous, but I attempted to make myself feel more confident by looking confident. I wore pin-striped slacks, a white collared blouse topped with a brilliant blue sweater.

As I was preparing for class to start, a boy we'll call "Rufio" came in. From the way Rufio presents himself, most teachers would automatically assume trouble-maker. His tall and lean Polynesian body, his afro-like hair, and his gang-inspired clothing don't make him seem caring or polite in any way. But when he sat down, he looked at me and said, "That blue sweater makes your blue eyes stand out. They're pretty."

I was pretty much taken aback. I tried not to let the surprise show on my face, so I simply smiled and said, "Thank you, Rufio." He smiled back, and for the rest of the period, he was perfectly behaved. He paid attention, he did his assignments, and he was essentially perfect.

The students keep surprising me with their wit, charm, intelligence, and genuineness. The reason I'm going into teaching is to interact with the students. They are truly awesome individuals, and it makes me smile to think that I'll be interacting with them on a daily basis in less than a year. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Teaching biology rocks!