EDUCATION ANECDOTES

Coming from a family of teachers and subsequently teaching myself in college for many years has allowed me to enjoy many pleasures I would otherwise have missed. There is something about the environment of a high school, a college, or a classroom that seems to inspire us to try humor. Perhaps, only by laughing can we divert attention from the painful process of learning. Maybe it's because of the frequent oversimplification of difficult ideas. Whatever the reason, I know if it were not for the humor always inherent in the educational process, there would be many more failures both in life and in the classroom. The following collection of anecdotes and poems are drawn from more than forty years of laughing while learning. The stories are true, but I have changed the names to prevent my friends from slashing my tires.

THE MISSING CHECKBOOK

Dr. Frank Allen was a respected professor and department head at a local college. He prided himself on running a good department, and he had certainly gained the respect of both faculty and students for his many years of service. He held degrees from several different universities, and, through wise investments, he was well off financially.
You can imagine his concern, then, when he discovered early one Monday morning that his checkbook had either been stolen or misplaced. He turned the office upside down, made a quick trip to his home, and gave his '98 Oldsmobile a thorough search. The checkbook was simply lost. Quickly, he envisioned all manner of horrors. A student who had found the checkbook was probably already gaining access to his bank account. The only thing to do was to call the bank, put a hold on checks, and ask college personnel to be on the look out for illegal checks in his name. The first place he decided to contact was the College Bookstore.
Marty Thompson, whom everyone called "Sarge," was the manager of the bookstore. He was a retired supply officer who parlayed his Army management experience into a job at the college bookstore. Just three years earlier, he was promoted to the manager position. Everyone knew that Sarge ran a tight ship. Not much got by him. Dr. Allen felt a sense of confidence as he walked into the bookstore and saw Sarge stacking books on a shelf near the back of the store.
"Hi Sarge," Dr. Allen said. "Look, I'm in a little bit of trouble, and I'd be indebted to you if you could help me out."
"Sure thing, Frank," He said. Sarge was never much on formalities. "Always glad to help the faculty. You need a book?"
"No, I seem to have misplaced my checkbook. I'm fearful that some student might find it and try to forge my name. It's not likely that he would try it here on campus, but I'd just like to cover all the bases if you know what I mean."
"Hey, you got nothin’ to worry about. Just leave it to ol' Sarge. Nothin’ will get past us."
"Thanks, I appreciate your help. I've already stopped payment at the bank. I guess I'll head over to the registrar's office and notify them."

Dr. Allen waved good-bye and continued making his rounds to each place on campus that did business with students. Satisfied that he had done all that could be done under the circum-stances, he returned to the Physics office, and resumed his daily activities.
Soon it was lunch time. On his way to the college cafeteria, Dr. Allen was met by a faculty member who was obviously in very good humor.
"Hey, Frank." He laughed. "You better go by the bookstore. Sarge has got you all fixed up."
"What do you mean 'fixed up'?" He said.
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe it. Go over and see for yourself."
Feeling a little anxious, Dr. Allen walked briskly to the College Bookstore, where he saw a number of students crowded around the store window. All were laughing.
When he broke through the crowd, he immediately discovered the problem. There in huge black letters was a sign placed in the store window.

"THIS BOOKSTORE WILL NOT CASH ANY OF DR. ALLEN'S CHECKS!"

Sometimes the best intentions often go astray. Needless to say. Dr. Allen and Sarge had a meeting to discuss communication skills.

MORE EDUCATIONAL HUMOR WILL FOLLOW IN LATER POSTS TO THIS BLOG.