OT: The dumbest question I've ever been asked as a teacher

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February 26th, 2012 at 5:50 PM
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pdxwolve
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OT: The dumbest question I've ever been asked as a teacher

Since it's a slow day, I thought I'd share a conversation with a student the other day. We've been studying Vietnam for the last month. The conflict, the protests, the war, etc., and I was just finishing up talking about how hundreds of people who die from land mines left behind from the war each year.

Then I was hit with this: "So, is it land mines, or land mimes?"

About half the kids snickered, but the others didn't, leading me to believe she wasn't the only one who had this question.

All I could think of was that I'm a really crappy teacher....

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February 26th, 2012 at 5:53 PM | Land mimes are silent (Score:5 Normal)
Carcajous
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Joined: 07/05/2009
MGoPoints: 1577

Land mimes are silent killers....

February 26th, 2012 at 5:55 PM | We better tell Princess Di! (Score:2 Normal)
NorthSideBlueFan
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Joined: 08/28/2009
MGoPoints: 2196

Oh wait.

"... never forget that Ohio is still a four-letter word."
-Bob Ufer

February 26th, 2012 at 6:44 PM | In the grand scheme of (Score:5 Normal)
kmd
Joined: 04/09/2009
MGoPoints: 205

In the grand scheme of things, I don't consider knowing the names of revolutionary-era Presidents' estates to be terribly important.

February 26th, 2012 at 7:18 PM | True, but still, President (Score:4 Normal)
UMgradMSUdad
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Joined: 07/02/2011
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True, but still, President Monticello?

February 26th, 2012 at 7:25 PM | Sounds just as plausible as (Score:5 Normal)
kmd
Joined: 04/09/2009
MGoPoints: 205

Sounds just as plausible as President Millard Fillmore.

February 26th, 2012 at 7:48 PM | NO POLITICS ON TEH (Score:5 Normal)
Coastal Elite
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Joined: 07/05/2011
MGoPoints: 217

NO POLITICS ON TEH BOARDZ!!!1!!

February 27th, 2012 at 12:57 AM | An avid Millard Fillmore (Score:2 Normal)
duffman is thru...
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Joined: 05/20/2010
MGoPoints: 998

An avid Millard Fillmore supporter eh. 

"We alway's did feel the same, we just saw it from a different point of view"

February 26th, 2012 at 7:29 PM | They probably thought it was (Score:5 Normal)
jmblue
Joined: 11/07/2008
MGoPoints: 28961

They probably thought it was Monty Chello, or something along those lines.

In fairness, some of those 19th-century presidents are hard to remember.  I mean, Chester Arthur?  

February 26th, 2012 at 7:32 PM | Any fan of the Die Hard (Score:5 Normal)
Avant's Hands
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Joined: 10/22/2011
MGoPoints: 777

Any fan of the Die Hard series will always remember President Chester A. Arthur as the 21st president.

February 26th, 2012 at 7:56 PM | I remember several presidents (Score:5 Normal)
BiSB
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Joined: 08/15/2009
MGoPoints: 27875

solely from the Simpsons song about the Mediocre Presidents

"There's Taylor, there's Tyler;

there's Fillmore and there's Hayes;

there's William Henry Harrison:

'I died in 30 days!'"

They no longer call me Bisbiño

February 26th, 2012 at 9:04 PM | The Presidents in the (Score:1)
cheesheadwolverine
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Joined: 10/25/2008
MGoPoints: 2137

The Presidents in the post-founding/pre-civil war era were largely insignifcant secod rate men, the leading political figures were in Congress.  To get us to remember these names, my high school history teacher informed us that they were the "gay presidents" becasue "Tyler Polk(ed) Taylor and Filmore Pierce(d) Buchannan."

"I just hope Tressel doesn't fire me"

-Gordon Gee

February 27th, 2012 at 11:54 AM | Simpsons? (Score:2 Normal)
Blazefire
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Joined: 04/17/2009
MGoPoints: 15741

I learned my presidents from the best possible source.

"This is the EMU game, not the emo game."
February 26th, 2012 at 11:18 PM | haha yes! (Score:1)
blingblaine
Joined: 09/17/2011
MGoPoints: 6

glad I'm not the only one to immediately think of Die Hard when Arthur is mentioned

February 27th, 2012 at 12:08 AM | Chester A. Arthur (Score:5 Normal)
Md23Rewls
Joined: 07/01/2008
MGoPoints: 476

The policies we want, the muttonchops we need. 

February 26th, 2012 at 6:05 PM | Gives new meaning to the (Score:5 Normal)
ryebreadboy
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Joined: 12/02/2010
MGoPoints: 1786

Gives new meaning to the phrase 'silent but deadly'...

Denard has spent the offseason working really hard and smiling at people.

February 26th, 2012 at 8:55 PM | I teach as well... (Score:2 Funny)
Localcoach
Joined: 02/26/2012
MGoPoints: 1

I teach and coach as well at a local high school rich in football tradition.  I teach P.E. and a student shot an airball and said " I hate these rims".  It was not a question but the comment left me scratching my head.

February 26th, 2012 at 9:13 PM | Maybe he was being witty, as (Score:1)
Jeffy Fresh
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Maybe he was being witty, as in "these clubs are terrible".

February 27th, 2012 at 2:45 AM | Yessss (Score:2)
shorts
Joined: 08/28/2008
MGoPoints: 2342

I come for the Michigan sports news/analysis, I stay for the witty comments.

Those who stay will be champions.

February 26th, 2012 at 5:54 PM | Yeah those (Score:0 Overrated)
February 26th, 2012 at 5:55 PM | I dunno, you gotta admire the (Score:5 Normal)
Wisconsin Wolverine
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I dunno, you gotta admire the way kids honestly ask questions without worrying whether they're 'dumb' or not.  I think we've all had those kinds of questions at some point.

February 26th, 2012 at 8:19 PM | What I tell my interns (Score:2 Normal)
UMICH 15
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Joined: 09/07/2011
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I always tell my students there are no such things as asking stupid questions, just stupid people just asking questions.

I don't hate often but when I do, I prefer to hate that school in Ohio.  Stay Victorious My Friends.

February 26th, 2012 at 5:55 PM | Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (Score:1 Normal)
brooktrail
Joined: 05/31/2011
MGoPoints: 441

So the signals must have gone through the land and she is probably correct, at least partially if signal transmission uses cables or land lines.

February 26th, 2012 at 5:58 PM | He's a teacher! Boo him! (Score:3 Normal)
BlueBarron
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Joined: 06/21/2010
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He's a teacher! Boo him!

Photography Facebook Page. Lots of Michigan sports photos. And planes, lots of planes:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barron-Photography/13379

February 26th, 2012 at 6:00 PM | That really isn't that bad of (Score:5 Normal)
UMichClass2017
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Joined: 02/12/2010
MGoPoints: 85

That really isn't that bad of a question

Simply Stated Go Blue

February 26th, 2012 at 6:49 PM | Seriously.  I ask dumber (Score:5 Normal)
turd ferguson
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Seriously.  I ask dumber questions than this every day.

February 27th, 2012 at 8:02 AM | Yeah, give 'em a break. (Score:1)
cbuswolverine
Joined: 08/14/2008
MGoPoints: 1762

Yeah, give 'em a break.  They're just kids.  I once had an adult tell me he didn't speak Canadian.

February 26th, 2012 at 6:00 PM | Teachable Moment (Score:-1 Normal)
February 26th, 2012 at 6:15 PM | But we're AMURICAH!!!!!! (Score:2 Normal)
NorthSideBlueFan
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Joined: 08/28/2009
MGoPoints: 2196

Love it or get the f out, hippy.

"... never forget that Ohio is still a four-letter word."
-Bob Ufer

February 26th, 2012 at 7:09 PM | And you think European (Score:0 Normal)
February 27th, 2012 at 8:33 AM | Well, when North Korea stops (Score:-1 Flamebait)
February 27th, 2012 at 11:02 AM | I have no idea why the above (Score:1)
BlueGoM
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Joined: 08/25/2009
MGoPoints: 2838

I have no idea why the above was marked flamebait.

It is a fact that unexploded bombs are still found in Europe.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16018659

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unexploded_ordnance

My point is that it isn't just landmines that can kill years after they are found.  Unexploded bombs are also a threat.

I have no idea why a post explaining that the problem is BIGGER than just landmines is "flamebait."  I'm not belittling the issue at all. I'm trying to say that unexploded ordance is a broader problem and goes beyond landmines.

 

February 26th, 2012 at 6:50 PM | Wrapped up like a douche (Score:5 Normal)
UMich87
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Joined: 09/07/2009
MGoPoints: 3792

around a roller in the night.

Or, at least my best friend in highschool thought so.

February 26th, 2012 at 8:58 PM | Okay UMich87... I STILL don't (Score:3 Normal)
Princetonwolverine
Joined: 10/10/2010
MGoPoints: 2260

Okay UMich87... I STILL don't know what the real words are to that song. Can you help?

Everytime I hear the Diana Ross and the Supremes song, "You Can't Hurry Love" I swear she is singing "You Kangarilla". Doesn't make sense but it sure sounds that way.

February 26th, 2012 at 9:54 PM | "Revved up like a deuce, (Score:3 Normal)
MaizeAndBlueWahoo
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Joined: 07/02/2008
MGoPoints: 11799

"Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night."

"We've beaten Michigan the last four years.  So where's the threat?"

- Mark Dantonio

Blogging the Virginia Cavaliers at http://fromoldvirginia.blogspot.com/<

February 26th, 2012 at 9:59 PM | Me neither, and I don't want to know (Score:1)
Muttley
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MGoPoints: 4588

Knowing the correct words would spoil the song.

February 27th, 2012 at 1:57 AM | Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to. (Score:1)
Charpy
Joined: 02/27/2012
MGoPoints: 1

Once knew a guy who thought that TLC song went, "don't go Jason Waterfalls."

February 27th, 2012 at 1:54 PM | I now know it's something (Score:2)
mikoyan
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Joined: 09/06/2010
MGoPoints: 1942

I now know it's something like deuce....but still....

Metallica:  Never free...Lemonade...

 

February 26th, 2012 at 10:07 PM | O.M.G. (Score:2)
YabbaDabbaBlue
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Joined: 12/11/2011
MGoPoints: 148

I thought I was the only person in the world who heard "Help The Lions Plan." I honestly thought we were helping the Lions front office scout talent, suggest trades, etc.

February 26th, 2012 at 6:01 PM | Reminds me of the time in (Score:2)
MaizeAndBlueWahoo
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Joined: 07/02/2008
MGoPoints: 11799

Reminds me of the time in freshman (HS) English somebody referred to a promiscuous character in one of our assignments as "acting like the h-word."

"We've beaten Michigan the last four years.  So where's the threat?"

- Mark Dantonio

Blogging the Virginia Cavaliers at http://fromoldvirginia.blogspot.com/<

February 26th, 2012 at 6:39 PM | That's (Score:5 Normal)
OHbornUMfan
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Joined: 01/22/2010
MGoPoints: 1887

whorrible.

February 26th, 2012 at 6:02 PM | I once asked a teacher in the (Score:5 Normal)
sedieso
Joined: 09/12/2008
MGoPoints: 526

I once asked a teacher in the 3rd grade why babies are born naked. In a very stern way, she responded by saying that women don't have closets in their bellies....The memory still haunts me

February 26th, 2012 at 6:11 PM | Ha, I don't know why, but I (Score:2)
MGoBender
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Joined: 03/26/2010
MGoPoints: 5133

Ha, I don't know why, but I fould this hilarious.

Side note: As a fellow teacher, I'd like to point out that non-teachers always have their horror stories about "bad teachers."  Remember that someone's opinion of this "bad teacher" was formed when they weren't exactly at their peak of maturity.

CoE Class of 2007

February 26th, 2012 at 6:03 PM | Even mimes are in danger... (Score:1)
DrueDown
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Joined: 12/22/2011
MGoPoints: 182

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5srwCNx2Ti0

February 26th, 2012 at 6:04 PM | At least they didn't think it (Score:1 Normal)
GoBlogSparty
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Joined: 02/19/2010
MGoPoints: 1191

At least they didn't think it was Land Memes that are dangerous.

Your friendly neighborhood Sparty

February 26th, 2012 at 6:07 PM | Land Memes You Say? (Score:3 Normal)
ryebreadboy
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Joined: 12/02/2010
MGoPoints: 1786

Denard has spent the offseason working really hard and smiling at people.

February 26th, 2012 at 6:09 PM | land sharks are what you (Score:5 Normal)
SysMark
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Joined: 11/15/2008
MGoPoints: 5565

land sharks are what you really have to worry about

February 26th, 2012 at 6:16 PM | Worry about them, I shall. Yum... (Score:3 Normal)
jhender85
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Joined: 10/25/2008
MGoPoints: 1382

Only good thing in the world to come from Jimmy Buffet...

February 26th, 2012 at 7:00 PM | This is the type of land shark I worry about (Score:4 Normal)
ptrack
Joined: 12/19/2010
MGoPoints: 3

This is the type of land shark I worry about.

 

Always remember it isn't a dolphin no matter how polite it is.

February 26th, 2012 at 7:08 PM | that's the one I was thinking of :) (Score:3 Normal)
SysMark
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MGoPoints: 5565

that's the one I was thinking of :)

February 26th, 2012 at 6:15 PM | Unexploded Mimes... (Score:3 Normal)
LSAClassOf2000
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Joined: 01/07/2011
MGoPoints: 8709

....are a constant threat to the touring public. Please keep a safe distance.

"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."

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