Mannequin Man

Monday was rough. My A days students are an overflowing two hands full. I had to make my first phone call home for the year: One girl refused to wear her mask right and said, "You can't make me and my dad will agree."

And it probably won't be the only phone call for the year.

But each day is a new day. 

There's a CPR dummy/mannequin that sits next door in the teacher workroom and stares at whoever enters. 

Tuesday, I invited him to class.

The setup was perfect. I don't always wear a hat to school, but today I did. The kids from my 2B came in, saw me in it, I took a attendance, and then they left for lunch. While they were gone, I carried my new friend into the room and gave him my spare hat.

He had no ears, so I used a pen to help him wear one of my spare masks. 

I set him up all relaxed at my desk and then relocated myself to watch reactions as kids came back!

And there were reactions! After a few startles and befuddled glances, there were laughs.

That would have been enough for a fun moment, but there's more to the story, though. One of the girls came up to me before class to tell me she had a falling out with the girl she sat next to. She wanted to know if she could switch seats. I told her to sit in her usual seat for now, but I'd think about it during lunch.

I asked the class if they wanted to let our "new student" sit near the door to greet people who walked by. 

Of course the answer was, "Yes." There was a perfectly placed student ready to give up her seat, too!

It was a little awkward when the new student's pants fell down as I carried him over. He got dubbed a low rider, but someone gave him a Fanta and someone else gave him a pencil to do his work with.

We named him John as in John Deere. A student made the name tag.

Another student (on the medical studies route), made the connection that John Deere was a John Doe and the name fit even better!

John had a great time, but I was worried there may have been a little bullying going on by the end of class.

John hung out for the rest of the day. My 4B was equally pleased to meet him! 

It made for a fun day. It was the perfect counter-balance for the rough start to the week. I wish I could be as playful with my A Day students, but I would have feared for my sanity, John's life, and the Biology teachers getting mad if he was damaged!

Anyway, a mannequin student was a unique moment in my decade and a half teaching. Maybe John will visit again some day!