Highschool+Culture=Twilight

Student: Miss Boman, have you ever been to a concert?
Me: Well....yes.
Student: Which ones?
Me: Um, there's this thing called Lifelight in South Dakota. It's actually pretty good.
Student: Well who was there?
Me: Don't say Chris Tomlin...not Barlow Girl, either. And you better not say Superchick. Probably shouldn't say Leeland. Um...Family Force 5?
Student: [Severely unimpressed and continues working for a while]

Student: Miss Boman, have you ever partied? [Other students begin to pay attention]
Me: Uh...
Student: You know, gotten it down, 2001 style?
Me: Student, I was thirteen in 2001.
Student: Oh
Mr. Weidenaar: [Bent over laughing]

Yeah, I have no idea. But I also get this all the time:

Student: Miss Boman, have you turned on your swag today?

Or this:

Student: Miss Boman is a balla'!!

Or this:

Student: Say it! Say it!
Me: No.
Student: Come on, say it. "Tree-fitty." Say it!
Me: No.

And these are my first experiences with high school students, people who understand every possible passing fad and every popular expression under the sun. And all the while I have to make them believe I have no idea about modern trends, otherwise we'll have an hour-long discussion on how the Jews for Jesus chapel sound guy looked exactly like Alan from The Hangover.

So do I not respond? Do I redirect these pop culture literate people toward something else? I think the best I've done was relate romanticism to Lady Gaga....Taylor Swift to Emily Dickinson...Forrest Gump to Huck Finn.

I'll leave you with one more:

Me: Put that phone away.
Student: It's not a phone.
Me: Put that i-pod away.
Student: It's not an i-pod.
Me: Put it away!
Student: Ahh! That's what she said.

I give my biggest thanks to The Office for making "that's what she said"s popluar. (Beth, if you're reading this, you understand, right?)

High school.