a TEACHING day in the life of me...

Today in my 8th period class (co-taught English) I had an AWESOME day of teaching ... by making a total fool out of myself.
I was leading a co-discussion with my co-teacher, Boyd, about a short story called "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. It's quite a suspenseful little one ... if you ever feel the desire to read it.
We get through the first page.
I'm doing a great job "thinking aloud" my thought process of what is building the suspense, vocabulary instruction, etc. Boyd was doing a great job of showing them how foreshadowing was happening, why Jacobs chose specific words, etc. The class was engaged and all was going great!
We moved onto the second page; at the bottom of the page I read this passage, "He took something out of his pocket and proffered it. Mrs. White drew back with a grimace, but her son, taking it, examined it curiously."
The it was the Monkey's Paw.
I stopped reading right then and said to the class, "you know if someone brought out a monkey's paw, I think I would look at it curiously too and then I might, ya know ... as I made an awesome throw up/gagging sound ... and continued on. Meanwhile, Boyd chuckles and says, "Then it will be a Monkey's Paw with throw up on it." Well that hit my funny bone super hard! I started giggling, then laughing, then I squealed. Yes, folks, that's what I did ... S.Q.U.E.A.L.E.D.
I was standing at the front of the room, Boyd was to my right over by the wall. I looked over at him and said, "I just squealed didn't I?" The look on his face was - don't laugh at her - but all he could do was say, "Yes."
Well that was enough license for the entire class to burst out laughing. I started walking towards the door and said, "Okay I'll go be embarrassed outside ... be right back." To which a darling student of mine replied, "Too late for that."
I was BRIGHT red. It was delightful. It provided some comedic relief and, thankfully, we were able to get through the rest of the lesson.
It has been officially decided that I have a contagious laugh and that it's okay that I laugh with my students before Christmas break. p.h.e.w. for that one!

I LOVE TEACHING :-)