Oh Sam!

Remember my puppet co-teacher Sam the Scientist?  He is a lot more popular than I am.   I know this because although most of my students forget my name and just call me "Science", they all know Sam's name.  Not just the short version, no, no, he has never been greeted solely by his first name.   He is, and always will be "Sam the Scientist".   I know Sam is important to my students because I am frequently stopped in the hallway with bewildered looks and desperate questions such as,  "HI SCIENCE! WHERE IS SAM THE SCIENTIST?!"  I usually explain that he gets tired from teaching so he is sleeping.  So far, this has worked like a charm, even to the point where I have the occasional wanderer stop by my room to see if he or she can wake Sam up to say hello.    

Well, a funny thing happened today.   You see, on Thursday I was out of the building for a Science training, so I had a sub.  Normally this wouldn't be that big of a deal but my sub happened to be named Sam.   Can you see where this is going?
Today, one of my students ran through my door and immediately said to me "on Thursday Sam the Scientist CAME TO LIFE!".   I was so shocked I didn't even respond, so the student kept going, "is he still ALIVE?!  He was a tall man and he taught us how to mix things."  Oh yes, the sub.  "No, Sam the Scientist is still a puppet. . . ". 

And this is why I teach special education!