The Spider

Friday officially marked the last day of school for this year. Of course I cried, as I do every year. It always makes me sad to think about these kids leaving after all the fun experiences we have had. These fun experiences often have to do with me doing things I normally would not do. For example, last week I was calmly sitting at a student's desk, while the student was in front of the class. I soon noticed the girl next to me was staring at me. As with most teachers I'm use to that. We don't say 1,2,3 eyes on me for nothing. Anyway, I soon noticed that her stare wasn't a look of glowing admiration, but that wide eyed death is coming to you look. That is when the dreaded words came. She said in a slightly panicked voice. "Um, you have a spider on you." Now I must tell you that eversince I was a little kid I have hated spiders. It might stem back from those moments when I would see a nasty spider in my room and yell for someone to come kill it. Everytime in would pop my brother (the famed spider killer) He would always come in with his trusty rubber band gun. Everytime he would aim, shoot and. . . . . . . . miss. It would always stun the spider or scare him, and then that nasty spider would end up spiraling down onto my bed only to wriggle away, never to be found again. I spent many sleepless nights with awful spider shivers. You can see now what effect those words might have on me, mainly to propel me in the air shrieking like a banshee. However, I surprised myself with the rational thought of what would happen if I did that. The sight of 28 children in mass chaos came to mind, and so I did the impossible. I simply, and calmly flicked it off of me.
Unfortunately, I flicked it into another student's binder. Unfortunately, the girl next to me saw it and jumped up in the air screaming like a banshee. Unfortunately, the rest of the class heard one student jumping and screaming like a banshee, and so they leapt from their desks screaming like banshees. (It doesn't take much to set them off.) However, I kept my cool and asked for everyone to calm down. Then I opened the binder, found the ratty spider and immediately stepped on it (good and hard), then had it taken away to the trash can. Next, I signaled for the class to calm down and the students in front of the class to continue, as if nothing had happened. I think anyone who knows me would be surprised by my calmness. I guess when it comes down to it a teachers got to do what a teachers got to do. Those knowing there is more to the story might imagine my random and uncontrollable spasms of spider shivers throughout the day and you would be right. Ugh. . . where did that spider come from?