When I was in first grade the teacher taught us about expressions (you know, what they are, when to use them, what they mean…). After the lesson she gave us an assignment. She showed us a circular piece of paper that had “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” written on the top and a drawing of a red apple in the middle. She explained that we all had to make up an expression then she would hand out a piece of circular paper to each of us. On that paper we had to write and draw our expression. It seems like a simple enough task right?
For me, however, it was not. I had no idea how to even begin to make up an expression. I asked my classmates what they were writing to see if they could inspire me. Nothing. When the teacher said we had 10 minutes left I freaked out. In my frantic attempt to not fail this assignment this was my reasoning:
1. An apple keeps the doctor away because it keeps you healthy and you don’t go to the doctor if your healthy.
2. What else might keep the doctor away?
3. Look around the room to see what else might keep a doctor away.
4. Oh look, the alphabet is pasted above the chalk board and an alligator is next to the letter A.
5. Alligators are scary and if you see one you would probably run away.
6. An alligator will keep a doctor away.
Conclusion: An alligator a day keeps the doctor away. (seems legit.)
I was very proud of myself for finally having made an expression up. I very happily wrote the expression and drew what was supposed to be an alligator on the paper. The teacher began to collect all our work up and when I handed her mine she read it and laughed out loud. She looked at me and said, “Really?” and I answered, “Yeah, they’re scary.” She laughed some more and looked over at the TA on the other side of the room and shared a “wtf!?” stare with here and then said, “Yeah, I guess they are. They would keep a doctor away.”
After recess we came in to find that the teacher had hung our expressions from the ceiling. I was a little bit embarrassed, but laughed it off.
So this goes. 