Second grade wonders for Jacob included Clint's marvelous hearing aid. To ensure he heard everything, his parents gave a small microphone to Ms. Woodward to wear each day. They showed her how to turn the mic on when she taught. With the mic on, her words broadcast to Clint's hearing aid. When she went to work with another student, Ms. Woodward could push the mic to the off position to provide privacy. Clint did not need to hear everything in the classroom.
A couple days before Thanksgiving break the class noise level rose with energy and excitement as students counted down the minutes to the impending break. Assenting to the inevitable, Ms. Woodward handed out Thanksgiving worksheets for writing and math. Maybe reading about the Pilgrims and doing math problems with pictures of corn and pumpkins would redirect some of the energy.
Woodward explained the assignments with the mic on. Then, realizing she needed something from the copy room, she appointed a student to monitor the class while she stepped across the hall to work. The class worked diligently on their papers until Clint laughed. "Hey! I can hear Ms. Woodward!" Twenty children crowded around his desk, their interest piqued at listening to his personal walkie talkie.
He pulled out one earpiece and held it up as a speaker so everyone could hear. They held their breath as they listened. Ms. Woodward had forgotten to turn off the mic. The class listened as Ms. Woodward unintentionally divulged a little secret.
Another teacher in the workroom asked: "you have a surprise?"
Ms. Woodward: "Yes, since tomorrow will be wild until they leave for Thanksgiving break I decided to have a Thanksgiving party. I have Thanksgiving plates, cups and napkins hidden in my supply closet."
Teacher: "The students?"
Woodward: "Yes, I keep a lock on it most of the time. If I need something, I take it out."
Teacher: "What are you going to eat?"
Woodward: "Candy corn to remind them of the Pilgrim's sparse meal that hard winter. I will tell them about that. I also have turkey, rolls and yams."
Teacher: "What will you bring for a drink?"
Woodward: "Punch and apple cider, of course. It is the time of the year for it!"
The children heard the clatter of the copy machine closing. Woodward, "That's done; now I need to get back to class. I haven't heard a peep from them, but you never know."
In the classroom, the children quickly dashed back to their seats. Clint stuck the hearing aid back into his ear. Everyone picked up their pencils and began working quickly on their pages. They might have passed for little angels, except every child in the classroom wore a big grin and kept peeking around at the rest, hiding giggles. They knew Ms. Woodward's surprise for them, but they were trying not to tell her.
Puzzled at the undercurrent of excitement, Ms. Woodward put the copied pages on her desk and looked around the room. The class couldn't hold it anymore. They burst into laughter.
At that one little girl could not stop herself. "We know your secret, Ms. Woodward! You forgot to turn off the mic!"
Ms. Woodward looked at the students. She looked at the mic. Saw that it was still in the "on" position and shrugged, "well, I guess if you already know about it, we don't have to do it, now."
The students fell silent, crestfallen at the idea of losing the surprise so quickly. Ms. Woodward winked, "I'm joking." They all breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and Jacob said everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving party the next afternoon.
Joan Hershberger is a former staff writer for the El Dorado News-Times and author of "Twenty Gallons of Milk and other columns from the El Dorado News-Times."