another one of those posts about being a teacher

disclaimer: you need to read this (and maybe this)

in order to understand the following post.

so - this celebrity lesson plan i've used a few times in class before...

well, i recently used it again in a different class

and the students' creativity astounded me,

yet again.

keep in mind these are german students

who are obviously speaking english as a second language

(or perhaps 3rd of 4th, etc.)

yet their english is just so impressive.

for instance,

one group's story involved:

angelina jolie, barack obama and george washington.

angelina jolie's superpower was that she steals womens' husbands

(i kept waiting for them to add

"and makes out with her brother"

but i guess that was before their time, huh?).

barack obama's superpower was that he is barack obama

(this is, like, the 3rd group to give obama no superpower

other than being himself...so funny!)

and george washington's superpower

--warning: this is the best one--

is that can wash dishes faster than anyone else in the world,

which is how he acquired the name washington.

and -- here's the best part --

he has no arms or legs

so he washes them with his hair.

when i first heard this,

i was so confused.

until i realized,

when they think of george washington,

they think of the image they see on the US dollar,

in which you cannot see his arms or legs.

(i am still laughing about this.)

in related news,

on dec. 1 every student and teacher at my school received an advent calendar.

(oh germany, how i love you for being so catholic

and therefore so politically incorrect by american standards)

i took one home with me, of course.

i keep forgetting to eat my chocolate...

but i think it's a pretty little calendar nonetheless.

(i've never had one before - can you believe it?)