Wedding in Vegas

So I just had what could well be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Wedding. in. Vegas. On the sidewalk. Lots of people around. Phil Collins music in the background. Random people walking by cheering as my relatives said I-do. A Shrek impersonator approximately 100 feet away. Yet in the midst of this mayhem, the happy couple had forgotten one key element: the marriage certificate. So we, the happy-go-lucky-wedding-party sat by while the best man ran back to the car so the Reverend could proceed with the ceremony. Awkward.

Those of you who know my teaching style know that I have tendencies towards the unorthodox. I'm proud of it; call me the House of history teaching. So this Vegas experience resonated with my mischievous side, the side that likes to see unconventionality, kitsch, and edginess. But the reality remained the same: all the edginess in the world could not compensate for following protocl, getting the paperwork, and making sure the trains run on time.


I see my role as a history teacher in the same way. I could be innovative, funny, and mind-blowing, but if I can get their papers back in a timely manner, if I can't keep the classroom under control, and if I can't play to "the man" and his never-ending thirst for more paperwork, then I might as well get a new job.

Just one lesson learned in Vegas.