"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater."

Today in ag econ I went to say "It'll cause a big ruckus" and successfully said "It'll cause a big fuckus!"


The reaction on their faces was as if they had never heard anything remotely close to a cussword ever in their lives! That alone made me laugh, above the fact that I’m always laughing at myself!

A couple times I've thought I’ve heard them cuss and got on them for saying stuff like "Shift" so one boy was quick to comeback with "And you yell at us for saying SHIFT!?!?"

My personality helps in times like this!
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My freshman also told me today that "Tomorrow is Ficken Friday again!” I was pumped!

Then I let it slip that I even have a Ficken Friday Birthday coming up soon... and they were like how old are you going to be?!?! I made them guess...

I am apparently going to turn 21, 23, 24, 25 and 26 all at the same time... but not 22.

I gave the 26 guess the death look and the girls said "well at least he didn’t say 36!" 36?!??

When I told them I was turning 22, they seemed a bit shocked I wasn't older... I guess my "adult image" is in check!
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In reviewing the Dairy Cattle Judging Team’s written reasons today after school, Randy and I realized that a senior girl thinks “udders” is spelled “utters.”

I would like to take this moment to say in my time back at a high school I say screw teaching poetry and focus on spelling!!! We have issues!!!
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Sophomore boys after getting their quizzes back, almost in unison say “This was for a GRADE?!?!”
Me: “Why else would we have done it?”
Boys: “I don’t know... just to do it?!?”
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We did Hunter Safety at night this week... last night two younger boys were walking out of the door and I overheard one say to the other “Just wait till YOU get to SIXTH GRADE geology!” ....yeah sixth grade geology... real killer right there! ;)
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Sophomore Boy: “So Miss Ficken, you’re pretty much going to make us do this, aren’t you?”
Me: “Yes, yes I am.”
Sophomore Boy: “Okay.”
All this time and that’s all it took?!?!?!?
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A few stories to show there’s never a dull moment in teaching!!!

If it was considered 'professional' to have this post's title as my teaching philosophy... I would use it!