Now You See Me . . . Now You Don't!

 

 

One summer day, a colleague of mine texted me about a former student. It was apparent from the text that she was teaching summer school.  

 

"Are you at my school this summer? You're kind of making me miss my kiddos!"

 

"I love to see my students in the summer," she responded. "And then I like to walk or bike away after a few minutes."

 

 

 

It's a strange thing, seeing my elementary students over the summer. They are usually surprised to see me in public because I most definitely live in my classroom. They are 99% certain that I sleep on the floor under my desk. 

 

My students react in different ways. Sometimes they freeze, like a deer in headlights. 

 

Other times, they act like they don't know me, and maybe they don't since I'm not living in my classroom and sleeping on the floor under my desk at that moment.  

 

Or they totally recognize me, and they let everyone else know it. 

 

One morning, I was jogging on the city greenbelt, passing by one of the many Boise parks that I had gone by a hundred times before. 

 

I noticed a group of kids across the road between the greenbelt path and the park, but it didn't register until I heard, "MRS. DUGGAN!!!!"

 

Apparently, I was passing a Cheer Camp. The camp came to a complete stop and went silent as all of the small attendees and their coaches stared at me. 

 

One of my fourth graders was racing across the grass, yelling, "IT'S MRS. DUGGAN!" 

 

My student's first grade twin siblings followed after their sister, also running toward me and calling my name. I managed to stop the three of them before they blindly ran across the street and jogged over to them (after looking both ways, of course). 

 

I sheepishly explained who I was to their cheer coach, "Sorry I interrupted your camp." 

 

 

 

A few minutes later, I was on the greenbelt path again, and I happened to run into one of my teacher friends. He was headed toward the park I had just extricated myself from. 

 

"If you don't want to stop the cheer camp for the second time, you might want to disguise yourself," I warned him, "or just run really fast." 

  

 

There is a slight danger when seeing your students in public over the summer. 

 

The other evening, my husband, Dan, and I went on a walk around the neighborhood. Our neighborhood is located near a park, but it's a pretty safe distance from my school. 

 

“Oh hey, Mrs. Duggan!" one of my sixth graders called as Dan and I walked through the park's parking lot. "I rode my bike over here from my house! What are you doing over here?” 

 

“I live here, in this neighborhood,” I told him.

 

Now he knows where I live.

 

According to his mother, they have family near my neighborhood. They spend quite a bit of time here, which is not on the same side of town as my school. 

 

So . . . great . . . 

 

For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.