Tribute to My Honors History Class
Kanwei Li
12/18/01
Mr. Funny Bones was already there. My buddies and I walked into the small, windowless classroom through the front door labeled “239”. The black, metal podium was in front of the standard-sized TV and VCR that belonged to the Math Office. Posters of World War I propaganda hung from the TV stand. Rolled up maps of Europe and Asia accompanied the blackboard. As I walked in, I was enveloped by history and geography.
I got in my seat, the second desk of the second row on the right side of the classroom. Sitting next to me was my friend Mike. As we took out our history folders, Mr. Funny Bones walked to the boombox and fiddled with it. A World War I era song was played. Mike and I talked about the usual: how Mr. Funny Bones played bad, old songs all the time. I looked under the wooden bench, which was dull, partially damaged and littered with writings. The little compartment was filled with junk and gum as usual. The classroom was in terrible condition, but we were used to it.
Mr. Funny Bones looked at the notes on his podium. He had plenty of white hair that covered his entire head. The many wrinkles on his face did not make his face of a comedian look old. Instead, it strengthened the effect, making him look like a jester at old age. He was wearing the usual: a white, plain shirt and baggy, brown pants. He had a beer belly that made him seem like an avid lover of food. He also wore silver colored glasses and an expensive looking watch.
“Ok folks, let’s start. First of all, I would like to tell you a story. You see, all of us are unique and different in our own special way. On a planetary scale, we are like a shooting star, streaking across the sky and disappearing in a split second. However, the light of the shooting star is bright and beautiful, illuminating the world. Thus, let us celebrate the life of… Sam.”
Students giggled throughout his story. He pointed his finger to the right side of the classroom and began humming a low note. We followed suit and hummed. “Kanwei, you’re out of tune.” The whole class laughed. As he went around the classroom, the notes went higher and higher until we broke out into singing the “Happy Birthday” song. He bent his knees and pointed his fingers to direct us. When we got to the third part, he slowed down and sang, “Happy Birthday dear Sam…” while making some popping sounds and doing some funny hand gestures, resulting in more laughter. “And since it’s your birthday, we have… a Snickers bar!”
This was one of his many methods for keeping class fun. It worked wonders, as it would get us excited for history, historically one of the most boring subjects. He would often start discussion on topics he felt would generate controversy. “Don’t be afraid to say whatever you want; this classroom is the safest place for any discussion.” When someone would interrupt him, he would interdict, “You’re infiltrating my air space, and by international law, I have the right to shoot you down.” This was one of many jokes acquired from twenty years of teaching experience. To make an easy transition from one topic to another, he would mumble some gibberish on the lines of “Abulamijadi”. This was his escape routine.
To me, Mr. Funny Bones was a history teacher who developed a way to turn a boring subject into an enriching and fun experience. Even though it sometimes seemed like he didn’t teach us anything, we were subconsciously absorbing a lot of information. He was gifted at using the power of fun in the classroom, and was a heck of an exceptional teacher.