Every time it gets cold, the kids are uncontrollable. You add in April Fool's Day (here, Liar's Day) and it gets pretty unpredictable.
Throughout the day, I was playing a joke on classes, saying that they had a pop quiz - playing it straight, up until one of them actually brought their books to the front of the room. I was surprised they found it so clever (I wouldn't dare try that in the US and expect to be found "funny" by a group of kids). I even told a couple of secretaries that one of the other teachers had torn off all of his clothes and was running around outside naked - they started to look, then realized their mistake.
My students got me back by telling me that another teacher was calling me - so I went out to talk to him in the rain and came back to the same laughter I'd created. They asked if I was mad! It was pretty funny, all told. How could I be mad if I had done the same thing...
So it was in this context that someone from the secretary's office came by and told me that I needed to go see them right away. I was overseeing a lesson (a student was giving dictation) at the time, and so I thought for sure they were taking their turn with me. So I thought, "Well, I'll try and turn it around on them."
So I went past a few students I get along with well, and grabbed one who I know is a good actor. I told him what was going on and that my plan was for him to act sick - REAL sick - and pretend like we were going to the hospital. The idea was that their calling me in to the office as a joke would seem like an unnecessary inconvenience because I was escorting this poor student to the emergency room, and had to stop what I was doing just to get to the office.
Well, I walked in there, with my student next to me, doubled over in mock pain, and the head secretary shows me a photocopier that they just got and explains that they need someone who can read the instruction manual to put it together. At this moment, I laughingly pushed the student away and told the secretaries I'd be back to take care of it. The student and I had a good laugh outside at my paranoia, and his crappy acting job - they never even asked about him!
Peace
John
