Mrs. Parks, a sixth-grade science teacher, posed a thought-provoking question to her class: “Which human body part grows up to ten times its size when stimulated?”
The room fell silent until Mary, a feisty student, stood up, objecting to the question. “You shouldn’t be asking us that! I’m telling my parents, and they’ll report you to the principal!”
Undeterred, Mrs. Parks repeated the question, sparking Mary’s indignation.
However, when Billy tentatively answered, “The pupil of the eye,” Mrs. Parks praised him.
Then, with a hint of humor, she addressed Mary: “You’ve got three things to learn: first, your imagination runs wild; second, you didn’t do your homework; and third, one day, you’ll face a surprising reality check.”
Mary’s embarrassed expression revealed a valuable lesson: sometimes, innocence and naivety can lead to unnecessary drama.
Mrs. Parks’ clever approach taught her students that science can be fascinating and that maturity involves understanding the difference between fact and fiction.
