Sunday
19 November 2017

— just a tiny patch of snow along the edge of the patio

Good Morning All, 

We did not always pursue the ever-present, every-barking-at-our-heels IB Syllabus in English class. Sometimes the kids were not in the mood. Sometimes I wasn’t. Sometimes we just goofed around. It was sort of like deciding we’d have a group mental health day. For example, I had all around on the walls large prints of the works of Monet, Magritte, Vermeer, Hopper. Homer, O’Keefe, Renoir, and others. I might ask them to dash off a poem inspired by one of the paintings. Then they’d read them, and we’d try to guess the painting.

Or we’d divide into groups of four to see which group could come up with the most onomatopoetic words in fifteen minutes. Echoic words that actually recreated the sounds of what they defined, including words relating to animals, machines, nature, and humans. After the fifteen minutes, we’d write them up on the board, but one team member would have to say the word aloud and in an exaggerated manner to get credit. You may imagine that works like donkey, belch, vomit, and tinkle went over well. And occasionally someone—possibly a little fuzzy on the concept--would try to slip a word like influenza or beautiful past us. 

We usually played charades the last class every quarter. I’d write on slips of paper book titles, movie titles, idiomatic expressions, famous quotes, etc. Usually the girls played against the boys (and usually won.) Each kid would draw a slip and have two minutes to act out the words. The only problem with that game being that we tended to spend a lot of time clutching our sides, killing ourselves, while the poor kid in front made a complete balls up of things. He’d be there scratching his head or nose helplessly, and his teammates would be shouting at him: Hair! Snot! Dandruff! Ringworm! Zit! Mucous Membrane! Head Lice! Laurel and Hardy!

One of the very best games, though, was Saving Humanity, which I liked to play with them once in 10th grade and once again in 13th grade (or 12th grade, once we lost the 13th.) I’d walk into the class wearing my official Manchester bobby’s helmet, divide the class into three teams, and then distribute to each student the document you will find attached below. I gave no instruction, other than to set my yellow stop watch and tell them to turn the paper over and read it.

Which, it being Sunday, I now invite you to do! It’s fun enough playing on your own, but twice as much fun if you can find one or two or three people to join you. And, of course, I’d be delighted if you sent me your seven choices + one alternate. (Not, God in His infinite wisdom knows, I have had much luck getting responses from you in the past!)

Go Well and Stay Well,

Bhekaron