So we are debating whether the US was justified in declaring war on Mexico in 1846*. Well, in my need to rush, I actually handed the kids pre-written arguments to read aloud. (Lame, I know, but efficiently lame. Judge all you want--the almighty CST is in less than 20 teaching days and I have to get them to the Civil War AND review 6th and 7th grade before then. I does what I gotta does.)
M. has a reputation as a convincing speaker; H. has to follow her. M. wows us, and now it's H.'s turn: "OK, H., be in earnest!" I urge.
And as H. begins his speech, he deftly slips off his shoe and pounds it รก la Khrushchev on the desk--
--and yes, he knew about Khrushchev because in our persuasive speech unit, I used Nikita to show that dramatic gestures can backfire if they aren't natural. But now I am announcing to the world that shoe pounding may just be what is missing on all those boring political talk shows--H. brought down the house!
(*I don't even try to hide my bias on this one. US actions were deplorable.)
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