Teaching Bites: Inspiration for Teachers Everywhere

By Mary Moody Foster

"Teaching Bites" is an impactful and enlightening book written for every teacher who has ever felt frustrated, tired, unappreciated or uninspired. No matter who you are or where you come from, you will be able to relate to these wonderful short stories. Everything written here is based on real-life events from the author's 25 years of teaching in public and private schools. A must-read for Christians, this book is certain to inspire you and help you remember why you chose to take on the oh so important role of being an educator.

Each story is paired with a Bible verse and prayer, providing educators with encouragement and strength as they head into the classroom. It's crucial to remember that God is there for you as you take on the everyday challenges of the classroom. Combining spiritual information with tried and true teaching concepts, this is a must-read for every teacher and educator.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781667818979

Book preview

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Teaching Bites

© 2021 by Mary Moody Foster

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN 978-1-66781-896-2

eBook ISBN 978-1-66781-897-9

Table of Contents

Preface

Terrifying Stunts

Clandestine

You Never Know

Wild Goose Chase

Athletic talent

Changing the world

Knowledge Beyond Geography

She Hides It

That Hurts

Confiding

Going Up

Spies Watching

Then There Was 9-11

It Is Rocket Science

Tape on Her Mouth

A Gift in Her Purse

Have a Heart

Fast Technology

Anger from a Deep Place

Conference Puzzles

Salesman

Are You That One?

They Really Left Me

All in a Day

Book on Your Head

She Inspires

A Golden Book

Hello Again

Move Out

Non Toxic

Driving Miss Maisy

Are You Rich?

Bibliography

Preface

The stories in this little book are inspired by true events. I’ve changed the names of people and places and combined some stories. In a few cases, I omitted graphic language or disturbing events. For some readers, the stories will feel familiar. But if you’ve never taught in dilapidated schools or worked with impoverished students, some of the stories may seem surreal. I lived through all of it.

Some students and teachers may recognize themselves in these stories. The students have long since grown up, and some of the teachers have passed away. I have carried these students and our stories in my heart for decades. They resound with age-old human behavior and truths about children everywhere.

Kids have changed very little. But our culture has changed, often for the better. Many of the things we did are not tolerated today, from spankings to giving students a ride home. I have taught in private Christian schools and public schools, and in grade levels from elementary and middle to high school. The last six years of my teaching, I worked with gifted students and taught teachers how to teach gifted students. If you can dream up a wild, imaginative story of classroom shenanigans, it has actually happened somewhere in a school.

I’d like to thank my husband, Jim Foster, for being patient when I skipped meals and was in such a writer’s Twilight Zone that he couldn’t reach me. I would also like to thank my daughter, Mary Beth, for giving up time out of her busy life to edit. She, along with my sons, Ed and Paul, cheered me on and supported this effort from the beginning. Each of my grandchildren had a part in making these stories come to life. Thank you Lyle, Yesica, Daveed, Guy, Kendall, Kate, Luke, Collyn, Brooks and Ellie for your inspiration.

Terrifying Stunts

Decades ago teachers didn’t have to worry about their photos popping up on social media. We did crazy things for the school, some of it funny and some of it embarrassing. For a dinner theatre fundraiser, I once blackened two of my front teeth and accompanied myself on the piano as I sang Carol King’s song You’ve Got a Friend to a co-worker. He dressed like a carpenter, wearing an impressive tool belt. He had cue cards that only the audience of parents could see. I sang, You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am, I’ll come running...to see you again. His cards echoed the words of the song with such phrases as: I wouldn’t call out your name if I were drowning; and, I’d run away from you. Astonished at our audacity, Principal Pete wrapped up the show by saying, And these people teach your children.

A popular school fundraiser is the magazine sale. I dread the extra work. But the school needs the money. Principal Pete asks three of us teachers to help with the big promotional event. In the gym after lunch, the students are rowdy with high anticipation and ready to riot. The magazine people take us volunteers aside to show us our costumes, which resemble space suits. I am not paying attention. A crucial mistake.

I pay attention to my class in the bleachers and ask my friend Jane to watch them. I hurry back to the platform, a portable stage about five feet high. Someone helps me into the heavy, giant suit and I climb the steps. At the top I have to jump over a one-foot gap between the steps and the stage. The suit is cumbersome and causes me to trip. One leg gets wedged down in the gap. I yell for help. Though I’m a small woman, it takes two people to pull me out. They strain and heave. This should be a clue that things will not be normal. Frustrated and anxious, I see the others have started the performance. I join them and try to catch up. I don’t understand. Suddenly my friend Sissy, a tiny delicate lady, sprints toward the back of the stage in a mad dash, leaps high and lands on a giant velcro wall. What? And there she stays. Stuck. The kids are in hysterics.

I say to Rick, the other teacher, I don’t think I ought to do that. Ignoring me, he charges to the wall and smashes his entire body into it. Stuck high up there. The kids scream in absolute spasms. He can’t move his head, which is turned grotesquely to one side. Like a trapped character in a crime film, he rolls his eyes to try and see behind him. Both teachers are stuck about four feet up on this incredible wall. They yell at me, You can do it! Come on!

Now let’s think this through. I am a teacher. I am a teacher with all the honor and dignity that go with that title. Pleading, I look at Principal Pete who laughs and signals for me to GO. The students yell, GO! GO! GO! The magazine person yells, It’s for the KIDS! I burst forward as hard as I can, bounce off