I have this class full of 5th and 6th graders. Nice enough kids but not much spunk.

We were getting ready for a performance day and two of the spunkier kids, Hanson and Betty, were doing a skit called "Country Mouse/ City Mouse." So the city mouse comes to the country, and the narrator says "They shook hands excitedly." I showed them what shaking hands means, and they acted like it would just kill them. So of course I had to torment them more- when the narrator said, "The country mouse was excited to see his cousin," I told them, "Now you have to hug."

"Teacher, no!" Hanson exclaimed. "We are not American people!"