Smile

NEA Today, Apr 2004 by Elmes, Dixie, Burns, Terry

As a family and consumer sciences teacher, I constantly am amazed at my students' listening skills and cooking knowledge. I gave my eighth graders final directions for making soup and reminded them to peel the carrots and slice them into bite-size pieces. As I walked around the kitchen I saw a cutting board on the counter with a bunch of carrot slices on it. I then noticed one student with a vegetable peeler in one hand and a slice of carrot in the other. I watched as this student peeled each carrot slice. Needless to say, it took a long time to get those carrots ready for the soup.

-DIXIE ELMES

Westminster, Maryland

Our freshmen were working on a project in which they had to find biographical information about Mark Twain from a source other than an encyclopedia. I noticed two girls working diligently, but they appeared perplexed. As I coached them through their thought process, I reminded them that thinking about a person's nationality, occupation, and life could help them determine where to find relevant information.

"So," I asked them, "what can you tell me about Mark Twain?" They looked at each other blankly before one said, "Isn't he Shania's husband?"

-TERRY BURNS

Bluffton, Indiana

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