(it's in a clear, plastic bowl)
"Teacher! What is it??"
"...eugh!...uhhh....ehhhh, I have no idea?"
You biology nerds out there are probably nodding in understanding right now, but it took me the greater part of an hour on google to discover that the stinky, slimy object wasn't a practical joke, but a sac full of salamander eggs. (This search was mostly fueled by guilt over not having known the answer right off the bat. I'm the science teacher, for pete's sake! No matter that I hold a degree in fine arts....Wait. Why AM I teaching science again? ...Ah yes. My employers are paying me to do so, and don't seem to care that my degree mainly consists of knowing Tom Stoppard plays and how to apply stage makeup and use my diaphragm.)
In the true spirit of carpe diem, I cut science class short and told my students their assignment for the rest of the period was to research salamanders and figure out how to keep them alive long enough to watch them hatch.
I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.
(And I'm trying my hardest to hold on to that pride and ignore the growing apprehension that I might soon become a baby salamander murderer.)
Our new class motto -- "Science: weird and wonderful!"
p.s. I should probably stop posting completely this week. My "ONE PICTURE ONLY" posts keep turning into normal-length blog posts. But yesterday was special, because Adam is special and it was his BD. Today, however, is not particularly special, and I really had no right to spend so much time explaining these photos. garargraggraagrrga!
.............
