When I was in high school I thought that the most awkward thing that could happen to a person would be to see their teachers outside of school. Now that I'm a grown up (kind of) I realize that I was close, but the actual worst thing is to be a teacher and see your students outside of school.
It is such a strange experience! Usually they are with their parents and I feel like I have to say things like "I promise that I don't wear elastic-ankle sweats and un-brushed hair when I am actually teaching. I am reasonable human being, despite how I look right now." (I realize I could avoid this by just looking like a teacher every time I go out in public, but that's difficult.)
I feel like my students are literally everywhere. Here are some examples:
1. My family came to visit me a while ago. As we were making our way to the restaurant I was explaining to them that I see my students everywhere. We were all laughing about some of the stories as we were walking in to the restaurant and then I hear my name shouted from the street as a car drives by with a bunch of teenage arms sticking out of it waving at me. Case in point.
2. One of the perks of living in a rural area is that it's pretty easy to get out in nature and feel that awesome isolated feeling. The other day I was hiking with a friend. We had been walking for over an hour without even hearing another human being. I was enjoying the view and the fresh air and quiet. All of a sudden I hear someone running up behind me. My first thought was that I was about to get murdered, but I turned around and guess who was there? Not just one student, oh no. It was the entire high school cross country team just out for a trail run. Of course. I can never get away.
3. Obviously I'm going to run into students when I live in the same town as them, but these stories of student encounters often go beyond the limits of my town. Last summer I was headed out on a cruise. I was loving the summer life and hadn't seen a student in weeks, so I was feeling good about things. I'm standing in line to check in and look across the crowds of people and there, checking into the same cruise as me, is an old student. Of course. My life.
