Ice cream Fans

I am taking a class this semester to learn about how I can use technology in my teaching. It happens every Wednesday evening, and only 6 students are in my section.

The first week, I was in California, so I missed class. Oops.

The second week, I was working until 4, and class starts at 4, so I didn't get there until almost 4:30. Ooooops. I felt really bad showing up that late, so I brought some ice cream with me. I didn't know the class was so small. I just felt bad. I thought maybe I could give the ice cream to my teacher and tell him sorry for missing the first week and a half-hour of the second week.

But when I walked in, the teacher was standing at the front of the room teaching and 5 girls turned to watch me come in. I sat down, suddenly feeling a little silly for having brought ice cream. Who does that?? Campaigners do that. Brown-nosers. Etc.

So my ice cream sat in my bag. And I sat in my seat, worrying. The ice cream was melting. I should share it! But I didn't have any spoons. How could we eat it? Maybe there were spoons downstairs. Should I offer it to my teacher? Should I explain? Should I offer it to my classmates? Should I just....let it melt?

Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I raised my hand.

"Okay so.....I just want to say. That the reason I was late, is because I was at work. But I still feel really bad about being late, so I brought some ice cream, but I don't have any spoons, but it's sitting in my bag melting, and I'm kind of getting stressed about it, but I was wondering if I could go and like, find some spoons, and I could share it with everybody?"

My teacher blinked at me. He's a really nice man who was majoring in pre-med and then switched to technology, and he has a cute little wife and like 3 kids. He's one of those people whose face is naturally set in a smile.

"What am I supposed to say to that?" he asked, "No! Let the ice cream melt!" He laughed at himself. "I'm just kidding, um...."

"I have a spoon," said one of the girls. She sheepishly pulled one out of her backpack.

"Oh....me too," said another girl.

And just like that, everyone pulled a spoon out of their backpack. And we happily passed the ice cream around and partook. And now, every week, I bring any mess-ups to my class. And we eat and be merry. And my teacher once emailed us and said, "Hello ice cream fans!" to start out his email.

It's a pretty good summer term.