17

Last night, some of my friends came over late, so I got to bed late for the second night in a row. For anyone who is a teacher (or in any line of work, I suppose), two nights of reduced sleep makes for a challenging day at work! But, then, you can't control when your old college buddies pass through town.

To complicate matters, I chose to start on Thomas Paine's Common Sense today, which I teach in the form of dramatic readings that are quite challenging when you are competing with chatter. I focused on the second chapter, Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession, in which Paine (a Deist) uses stories from the Old Testament to refute the concept of monarchy as a valid form of government. I love this passage, because just as you feel you have lost the attention of your students, you come to the part that says, "and he will put your goodliest young men and your asses to his work." Heads suddenly turn my way as I repeat the passage a few times, all the while holding a stuffed donkey that I bought a few summers ago as a prop.

A few classes even got to the part in the story where Samuel calls down thunder and rain from on high. I give one student a cookie pan and one an unopened box of salt. It was pretty funny, although my cookie pan has been beaten senseless (but I picked my wife's worst rusty pan, so she shouldn't be too upset). The funniest part about it is that it started to rain during the last class period, and now it's even thundering outside. It would be great to call down the elements once in awhile to get everyone's attention, but I guess I will settle for a belated elemental assault.

I wonder if the high school will have track practice... if not, I'll be heading straight home in a few minutes to take a long nap!