We are back with our quote of the week! I hope each of our readers had a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. We were glad to be back today with each other. The first day back from a long break is always fun!
Our quote for this week is fun! It is a Thai proverb.
“Bald people can always find a comb.”
The students really laughed when I read the quote to them today. This proverb has many meanings. We touched on a few today. This isn’t really about baldness or combs. It’s a wryly comical version of what is called “Murphy’s Law”--Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. This Thai proverbs tells us that you will always be able to lay your hands on things when you don’t need them. However, you can be sure that the one thing you really need will be impossible to find! I told my students of how this played into the “Hanging of the Greens” in my classroom this past weekend. I was missing the tree stand to the classroom tree. I went through every box I had in my classroom. I found the tree skirt, lights, star, ornaments and garland. However, the stand was gone. I placed my hands on everything to make a beautiful tree, but what are those things worth if my tree won’t stand up? The kids giggled and they then realized why the tree is leaning. I finally found a stand and after a couple swings of the hammer and a few large nails, we have a somewhat stable tree.
Another take on this proverb was to consider the comb as “experience.” Experience is something that should help us solve life problems. However, by the time a human has obtained experience, they have made it through those problems. By the time a person gains experience, they no longer have use of the knowledge that it brings. Similarly, if you give a bald man a comb, he cannot use it. He would be happier if you had given it to him before he lost his hair. We decided that experience is a comb which nature gives us after we become bald.
After several discussions, I realized, like I have on most other Mondays, that my students are smart and caring. One student even said, “Why are people so stingy with their combs.” “We are just kids. We don’t know everything.” What a profound thing to say. This is another reminder that our students and children welcome our wisdom. They are placed in situations where often times they have to deal with very adult problems much sooner than they should. They want us and need us to care enough to give them a comb while they still have hair!
As I continually age and have begun losing more and more hair, I am reminded...I need to share my comb NOW!
Until next week,
Mr. B
P.S.-In case you need any updates on classroom happenings.
https://www.smore.com/jrh06
Our quote for this week is fun! It is a Thai proverb.
“Bald people can always find a comb.”
The students really laughed when I read the quote to them today. This proverb has many meanings. We touched on a few today. This isn’t really about baldness or combs. It’s a wryly comical version of what is called “Murphy’s Law”--Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. This Thai proverbs tells us that you will always be able to lay your hands on things when you don’t need them. However, you can be sure that the one thing you really need will be impossible to find! I told my students of how this played into the “Hanging of the Greens” in my classroom this past weekend. I was missing the tree stand to the classroom tree. I went through every box I had in my classroom. I found the tree skirt, lights, star, ornaments and garland. However, the stand was gone. I placed my hands on everything to make a beautiful tree, but what are those things worth if my tree won’t stand up? The kids giggled and they then realized why the tree is leaning. I finally found a stand and after a couple swings of the hammer and a few large nails, we have a somewhat stable tree.
Another take on this proverb was to consider the comb as “experience.” Experience is something that should help us solve life problems. However, by the time a human has obtained experience, they have made it through those problems. By the time a person gains experience, they no longer have use of the knowledge that it brings. Similarly, if you give a bald man a comb, he cannot use it. He would be happier if you had given it to him before he lost his hair. We decided that experience is a comb which nature gives us after we become bald.
After several discussions, I realized, like I have on most other Mondays, that my students are smart and caring. One student even said, “Why are people so stingy with their combs.” “We are just kids. We don’t know everything.” What a profound thing to say. This is another reminder that our students and children welcome our wisdom. They are placed in situations where often times they have to deal with very adult problems much sooner than they should. They want us and need us to care enough to give them a comb while they still have hair!
As I continually age and have begun losing more and more hair, I am reminded...I need to share my comb NOW!
Until next week,
Mr. B
P.S.-In case you need any updates on classroom happenings.
https://www.smore.com/jrh06
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