Ms. Baier is Missing

After a totally wacky week, why not making it wackier by hosting a guest teacher!? The evil substitute from Harry Allard's acclaimed picture book, Miss Nelson is Missing actually APPEARED in Room 2B on Thursday morning. When Ms. Baier inconspicuously disappeared after music and before Read Aloud time, none of the students thought anything of it! Mrs. Fraser cracked open Miss Nelson is Missing; our second graders love this series of woeful days at school with an evil "sub." Students laughed and screamed at the parts when Miss Viola Swamp, the dark, hideous substitute appeared. But never did they think that she was lurking just outside the classroom, waiting to storm in.

Miss Viola Swamp thought she would be greeted with terrified screams when instead, she was greeted by shrieking giggles and surprised stares. Miss Swamp stormed in the room and demanded attention in a gravelly voice, cloaked in all black with witch-like leather heels, black lipstick and eyeshadow, and a vampiress wig the color the midnight.

Her alibi? That Ms. Baier had to leave suddenly, terribly sick. Her job? To introduce students to their Reader Response journals, teach them the expected format, and give them their first formal assignment in it: How is the Viola Swamp in your classroom similar to the Viola Swamp in the book Miss Nelson is Missing? How is she different?

A sample of a student response:
"The Viola Swamp in our room and the Viola Swamp in the book are both creepy. They both wear black and they both YELLLLLLL!!!! The Viola Swamp in our classroom is different from the one in the book because she is bad on the outside but good on the inside, because she's Ms. Baier."

I thought I'd have them FOOLED more than I did!!! (Couldn't help but smile at the expressions on their faces; it gave me away!) Alas, they saw through the facade. Still, it was tons of fun to dive into character in the spirit of Halloween, a favorite read, and the beauty of bringing books to life.