The Gift of Fish

It's been a busy week around here, which means I will spend tonight catching up with TiVo. Tuesday night was the big Open House night at St. Clair TEC. It's the night when prospective students come and visit our programs with their parents. I try to have my students their to show them what we do and show off some of their work. The Open House doesn't start until 5:00 pm, so my students had time after school to get something to eat and well buy me a present. They came back to TEC with 4 goldfish for me. It was a present. These fish were the 12 cent variety from Meijer, more on that later. I had mixed emotions, I didn't really want fish, however I had never gotten a present just from my students, so I was touched. As a teacher, I have found that one of the things I enjoy the most is the relationships I form with my students. I like them, that doesn't mean they get away with murder, well sometimes I am sure they do, but sometimes I break out "Mean Mrs. Holladay" (I don't like it but it's something I have to do.)

But back to the fish, they named them: J. Tuck (after one of the students that gifted them), Nemo (because he had a deformed fin), Colby ( he was orange and white like Colby Jack cheese), and a fourth that I really don't remember his name. Now if you are looking at the picture you will see that there are three fish swimming in the bowl that Bruce went and found at his parent's house. Why three, well again these are 12 cent fish, and one didn't make it 24 hours. He died in class the next day. Then I came into work the next morning to find that Colby had past away overnight. Then during the morning class (remember we haven't hit 48 hours yet) Nemo died. By 3pm Thursday, J. Tuck was the only fish that was still kickin'. I don't know if any are left today because I was out at a conference, however I did write on the notes that I left for the sub if the fish was dead to not be surprised.

I also want to make one thing clear, that just because I didn't exactly want these fish, I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR DEATHS. Someone that night said, just flush them, but I couldn't. Little did I know it would only be a matter of days before they would go, and I am a little sad.

But back to Open House, it was a great day, I mainly enjoy it because I get to brag about the program and my students. I feel like a proud mother, when I over hear them say that it's their favorite class and they really like their teacher.