...and I thought I was nerdy...

I was a substitute chess coach today for an away meet.

Chessletes really are like none other.

As we were all leaving my classroom to go out to the bus, a student came back.

Miss O'Brien, can I borrow a dictionary for the bus ride?


That's right, a student asked to borrow a dictionary.  For the bus ride.  It wasn't for homework.  It was for entertainment.

And I thought I was nerdy.

They were playing a word game.  Someone starts with a three letter word.  (Example:  bus)  The next person has to say a word that starts with the letter that the previous word ended with, and it must be one letter longer.  (Example:  star)  They continue like this until the words get so long that no one can think of a new one.

The game started on the way to the meet and continued on the way home.

This is what I overheard at one point:
Student 1:  We could go scientific again and use elements.
Student 2:  Oo-oh (imagine a short chortle)...That was fun!
Student 1:  Yeah.  That was fun.


At one point (when no one could think of a seventeen letter word that starts with s) I heard talk of starting over, but using Spanish words this time.
That hooked my attention.  I had to hold back from making my contributions from the front of the bus.

Nevertheless, I did contribute a little to the nerdiness of the night...
When everyone got back on the bus to head home, I had to make sure all of the students were present.  As I read their names, they had to indicate their presence by saying their favorite chess piece instead of the traditional here.  That's right, I made them identify their favorite chess pieces.

Interestingly enough, no one even hesitated with their response.