Take Your Daughter to Work Day

I took my eight-year-old daughter, L., to work with me today. I teach college. Here is her evaluation of my teaching style: "You talk too much."


The long commute to work offered L. a chance to chatter nonstop to a captive audience . . . 

L., on the subject of her school's yearly "movement program":

"Next year in third grade I have to dance with boys. That's so gross! It's disgusting! And the fifth graders always have to square dance with boys! That is so so icky! [A friend] had to dance with boys in this year's program and even gave each of the boys she danced with high-fives!"

Me: "So does that mean she liked dancing with the boys?"

L.: "Well, judging by the look on her face, I don't think she liked it. But she did it anyway."

Being the sympathetic type, I commiserated with the young lady. I told her that when I was in first grade, our teachers made us learn the Virginia Reel, thus forcing me to dance with girls. And I found that pretty darn revolting. All those cooties! Ick!

L. didn't think my experience was nearly as horrifying as the prospect she faces next year in school. Perhaps I should've simply agreed that dancing with boys sounded gross indeed.

After class got out, L. expressed dismay. Looking over the empty classroom, she asked, "Dad, don't the students have to push in their chairs before they leave?"

Me: "No, it doesn't really matter."

L.: "Oh. [My teacher] wouldn't let anyone leave her classroom until all of the chairs were pushed in under the desks."

College teachers these days! They let their students get away with anything! They're so much less disciplined than second-grade teachers are!