Neat little boxes? Nah...

I have this one student - I think I amuse him. I say, "I think" because his laugh sounds rusty. Kind of sad, isn't it? A 17-year old's laugh is rusty? It's kind of a crusty chuckle - a "heh heh heh" you'd hear out of a septagenarian who's smoked 2 packs a day for the last 60 years. It's really quite charming.

See, this guy? He's of mixed race, tattooed, has already been suspended twice this year, and is usually dour of expression. Smart as all get out, too. He understands my lofty speech, as opposed to some of his other classmates - one of whom actually told me the other day "you talk purty." No, I don't live in the Deep South, thank you evah so much, sugah! Chuckles, though, got a real kick out of my explanation of "circumlocution," especially when I prefaced the explanation with "no, it's not what happens at a bris."

Once I heard that "heh heh heh" roll out from the back of my room, I knew I'd said something good.

Who knew that Chuckles would know what a bris was?

The teacher learned, again, yet another lesson - never assume.

I look forward to hearing that chuckle.