March 2025 SOLC–Day 21
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Back on Tuesday, I wrote about my student, R, who dressed like me on Dress like a Teacher Day. You can click to read that post, or here’s the summary: She was planning how to look like me and after talking about hair, earrings, etc. suddenly, to my surprise, asked me if I “wear bras.” (I think it’s much funnier in the longer version!) Anyway, I happened to run into her mother today at school.

“Oh, how did you like R’s attempt to look like you on Dress Like a Teacher Day?” she asked.

“She was great!” I said, “I have to tell you what she asked me.”

“Oh my God,” the mom, said, interrupting, “I know! She told us! I almost wrote you an e-mail to apologize!”

I laughed. “It was fine,” I said, “and it definitely made me laugh later.” ( I did not feel that I should mention I’d written a blog post about it!)

The mom continued, “I was like ‘R, was there at least any context when you asked her?’ and she thought for a few seconds and then was like, ‘No’.”

“She’s so funny! There definitely was context. She was making her plan on the way out to the bus, talking about straightening her hair, wearing dangly earrings, etc.” I gestured at my as-always dangling earrings.

“Oh, I know all about the plan,” laughed the mom. “We had to figure it all out. But I told her she shouldn’t have asked you that and she just shrugged. Then she said, ‘I guess she’s just not a bra-wearing kind of girl!’ “

“What!?” I exclaimed.

“My husband and I were dying!” she said.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to respond in that moment. I wanted to protest “I didn’t tell her if I wore a bra or not!” but that seemed a bit ridiculous. And, just for the record, I didn’t respond to the original question, and I’m not quite sure how R made that determination. (The mind boggles.) But she’s a kid with strong opinions and no hesitation stating them.

“Well, good to see you,” I said, and hastily made my retreat.

Thank goodness spirit week ended today!