A life lesson learned through a trip to Victoria’s Secret
Critical Teaching Question: What do you do if you see one (or more) of your 10th grade students inside of Victoria’s Secret while shopping for your wife’s birthday present?
Response: I never thought I would have to answer the above listed critical teaching question until it happened to me. Student-teaching, discussions with peers, the induction process, teacher observations, and life in general never prepares you for all the nuances of student-teacher interactions. Case in point, my wife’s birthday is right around the corner, and my oldest daughter suggested I spice it up a little bit and buy her a new bra and panties. The kids are older; therefore, much of the embarrassment has faded away when discussing women’s undergarments. Since I haven’t made this type of purchase in a long time, I decided to make the short trek to Victoria’s Secret at Fashion Fair Mall in Fresno instead of ordering online. Upon my arrival, I spoke with an official looking lady standing near the front door who directed me to a second female employee that assisted me in locating the appropriate size bra. This took all of five minutes because I had no idea what she was talking about related to terms like “push-up” or “strapless”. She also asked if I wanted to feel the material as if I had some concept of the different fabrics and how they would be interpreted by my wife. I pushed ahead in my shopping endeavors, confidently holding the bra in my left hand while simultaneously sifting through an assortment of ladies underwear with my right hand. I made a mental note that the deal of the day was five panties for $35.00 USD which pushed me further down the rabbit hole of searching for not just one pair but five. As I was deciding between the final couple of panties, I felt a pair of eyes boring through my temple. I turned to see a young Latina female wearing glasses staring at me as though I had leprosy. For a moment, I thought she was a blip on my radar until I realized she was one of my 10th grade English students. Still holding the bra in my left hand and several pairs of panties in my right hand, I tried in vain to hold a normal conversation with her only to watch her giggle uncontrollably. Beads of sweat quickly formed on my forehead due to my core body temperature rising like an erupting volcano. I didn’t think I could feel this deep level of embarrassment, but it was there, it wasn’t going away, and it was all consuming. Deciding to cut my losses, I told her I would see her at school on Monday and quickly walked to the cashier. After completing my transaction, I was faced with another conundrum: Do I say good-bye to the student in the middle of Victoria’s Secret or just move on with my day? Fortunately for me, on my way out I observed her back was turned, and I decided it would be better to “move on”. But the experience wasn’t over just yet. With the exit looming ahead, I observed another of my male students entering the store in the same direction I was trying to leave. My mind was already overwhelmed trying to process what had happened five minutes prior, when I heard him say in a questioning surprised tone of voice, “Mr. C?” Instead of stopping to talk, I kept moving like an out-of-control freight train. While in transit, I provided a short curt reply to the male students imploring eyes and exited the store to live another day.
Life Lesson learned: Stick to online shopping for my wife’s panties and bras.