Murphy in the classroom: One teacher shares lessons proving that if things can go wrong, they will—except when they go right - End of the Day - Brief Article

After teaching for more than 20 years, I've decided that Murphy was right. Here is how I'm sure he would apply his law to the teaching profession:

1. If you come to work feeling achy, you're sneezing, and you're running a high fever, the principal will come to your classroom to observe you for an hour.

2. If it is Halloween, or the day before any vacation or holiday, the principal will observe you.

3. If all of the children in your class are working quietly and on task, or if they are truly excited about your lesson, absolutely no one will come into your room:

4. If you are planning a science experiment that must be done outside, there will be a huge thunderstorm.

5. If you are wondering why the tape recorder won't work and are growing frustrated because the kids are getting antsy, you will discover that it isn't plugged in.

6. If you think you've mastered the computer and are confidently helping a child, you will accidentally push some strange button. The computer will freeze, all of your information will be lost, and nobody will be able to fix it.

7. If you teach the class to write poetry and then move on to writing prose stories, almost every child in class will write his or her story in the poetry format.

8. If you teach your students how and when to use the apostrophe, they will inevitably put apostrophes after every word that ends with an s.

9. If you are teaching your students the zero multiplication facts, every child in your room will inevitably get zero as an answer when he or she tries to multiply.

10. At least once a year a student will throw up all over either your desk or you. The custodian will not come for at least 10 minutes, and you'll still have to teach.

11. If your classroom is the farthest from the cafeteria, the class will be all the way to the cafeteria before some child realizes his or her lunch ticket is back in the classroom.

12. The child you've been nagging all day to pay attention will make you feel like a witch when he or she puts a note on your desk to tell you how much he or she loves you.

13. Just when you wonder whether to consider another profession, a child will come to you at recess and ask, "Are those the nimbus clouds we talked about?" You'll remember why you're a teacher, and know that you couldn't possibly leave and miss the joy of watching kids learn.

Pat Huber has taught third grade for more than 20 years in Southern California. She currently teaches first grade. On stressful days she holds on to rule #13, above.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Scholastic, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group