trending velocities

I do not teach at a traditional high school. I teach at a high school where students earn college and high school credit concurrently. Which means that the classes are more difficult, and thus, the students more academically inclined.

But the students are still—very obviously—adolescents.

Not too long ago, I asked my students to remind me who wrote the Declaration of Independence.

“Michael Jackson!” one of my students, a jokester, shouted.

In a college setting this kind of outburst would be considered disruptive. I would handle it by ignoring it. But in a high school setting you have to treat these moments as an opportunity to build rapport.

“You’re right, Michael Jackson was very upset about the British taxing Americans for their tea-hee,” I said, hitting Jackson’s high notes for those last two syllables.