touche

Every once in awhile I’ll give my classes a pop quiz, just to keep them on their toes, to ensure that they are studying. They like it because they get extra credit or treats; I like it because it takes time and is virtually effortless on my part. I give the quiz to both classes, with the implicit instructions that the first class not say anything to the second class. Pop quizzes are supposed to POP up and catch you by surprise. Usually the quizzes pertain to some sort of grammar minutiae or spelling nonsense. The other day however, I bombarded them with the “Life and Times of the Hanley Family, Quiz Explosion!” I only included questions that at some point, no matter how fleeting the mentioning might have been, I said in class. My first class sucked, but as always there was a clear winner who happily enjoyed a chocolate bar and some extra cred.
I announced the pop quiz to my second class and their clapping and fist pumping turned to groans of dismay when I wrote the topic on the board (in hindsight I should have noticed the sly glints in their eyes… hmph.)
I went over the answers orally after they all handed in their papers-
Taryn: “Where am I from?”
Class: “Bremerton Washington! In America, Not Obama’s Washington! The state!” They all shouted. Whoa.
Taryn: “What did my parents get shortly before I moved to Yemen?”
Class: “Two cats! Two cats, one black, one white! Puf! Pip!”
I started getting suspicious. They all grinned back at me innocently.
Taryn: “What appliance recently broke in my house?”
Class: “Your washing machine! It broke last night! All your clothes are soaking wet!”
Taryn: “How do you spell my sisters name?”
Class: “K-A-L-L-Y-N! She is older than you by two years, she lives in Portland!”
Taryn: “ALL I ASKED WAS HER NAME! HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE SHE LIVES? WHO TOLD YOU THERE WAS A POP QUIZ!?”
Before I could even ask the rest of the questions they all started shouting “You went to Lehigh University and played girl baseball. You are afraid from the spiders! Your favorite color is GREEN like the color of Islam! WOOOHOOOOO!!”

My second class, sneaky devils that they are, ALL, and I mean every single one of them, memorized the answers for the super secret pop quiz. Every single person got a hundred percent. They were cracking up at this, the ultimate joke on the teacher. Here I thought I was being funny and silly by quizzing them about the life and times of TK Hanley but really they were getting me good. They started shouting, “Treats and Extra credit for everyone, teacher! Bring cake! No test tomorrow, 100% for everyone! Full marks! We want a party!”