A number of years ago I was teaching First Grade. I have learned countless tidbits of information and seen some startling things from kids during my fifteen years as a teacher. Case in point, it was 12:45pm on the first day of school of my eighth year of teaching. The first grade lunch period was ending. I headed back to Room Eleven, my classroom. As I flew around the corner from the school office, I was met by fifth grade teacher, Ms. Amzil. She had one of my students in hand. Ms. Amzil asked, “Mr. McGowan, is this one of your students?”
‘Yes,” I replied.
“He has something to tell you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
The student was stricken with seriousness as he reported, “I pulled my pants down to show the girls my privates.”
Oh my golly, I thought. What in the hell is going on with these kids? I am afraid - as an adult - to show my privates. There are a select few who get to see me naked. How does this six year old have the courage to show his private parts to complete strangers? It is an arduous screening process to determine if I am going to disrobe in front of someone. The likelihood of me showing my business to a group of strangers has always been and still is unlikely. Yet, for this six year old, it seemed the right thing to do.
Maintaining a straight face was growing ever so difficult when teaching first grade. Apparently, this student of mine had decided he would round up a few girls who happened to be walking down the hall and expose himself. What he didn’t know was that Ms. Amzil’s fifth grade class was cruising by at the precise moment of exposure. It was the first day of school. We were already off to a running start. The steps for handling a penis flasher had not been a topic of discussion in any of my college or graduate school coursework. I’d have to handle this one on the fly.
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