Day Fifty-Five

For those of you just tuning in, "This Guy is Falling" follows the educational exploits of Mr. Birds-Eye, a high school teacher in his third year of teaching, traditionally the make or break year in the profession. Fearing that he has finally reached his wits end, Birds-Eye decides to write a blog in hopes that he can reboot his year by focusing on the positives of the profession.

And I'm happy to report that it's been working.


So sometimes you have to be a jerk. Crowd control is an essential part of the job and once and a while you have to be a cop.


Today, we finished Milk and watched a segment of The Times of Harvey Milk, an Oscar winning documentary from the 80's. I show the documentary because it shows what happened after Milk's hollywood ending. 


After he kills Harvey, Dan White is put on trial for a double homicide, but gets off with manslaughter, serving five years.


Here's where I get to be a jerk.


INT. CLASSROOM - DAY


Teacher - Does anyone know what manslaughter is?


Student - It's like you accidentally kill someone.


Teacher - And premeditated murder? Does anyone know what premeditated means?


The Teacher SPOTS a student named MAX talking to his FRIEND.


Teacher - Max? Premeditated?


Max - Huh?


Teacher - We're discussing the difference between manslaughter and premeditated murder.


Max - Oh.


Teacher - See to premeditate means you plan it ahead of time. Like if I was sitting at my desk before class thinking, "In like thirty minutes I'm going to pick on Max. Won't that be fun?"


The CLASS LAUGHS.


Teacher - But what I'm doing right now is more like manslaughter. I accidentally spotted you talking and I just went off. I'm just like Dan White.


Max - Who's Dan White?


END SCENE


And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.


Signing off.


Birds-Eye