Just when you think a guy is retired, he gets sucked right back into the system. I received a call from the principal at Cecil Floyd Elementary (my career home for 27 years), asking if my college roommate could make an appearance at the school and pep kids up for the upcoming standardized testing season.
 | Well, I called up my old friend, Eddie Gweedle (AKA Da Gweed) to see if he would be interested. He had mixed feelings about coming back to the school, and I can't blame him: the kids in some classes called him names and gave him a hard time when he substituted for me in the past. Some kids called him a nerd, and recruited others to join in. Still, Eddie's never been one to say no when somebody needs him, so he ended up visiting the school this past Thursday. He walked through the kindergartens and the first and second grade classrooms, overwhelming some unfamiliar kids and scaring some new teachers with his over-the-top personality. They told him they planned to take their time on the test, read it carefully, and make their best efforts. |
Then came the opportunity to shine on stage as the principal introduced Mr. Gweedle to a crowd of third through fifth graders. Before he went on, the Joplin High School jazz band played to set the mood, followed by some comments from the superintendent of schools and one of the school board members - who obviously didn't quite know what Eddie was all about.
With microphone in hand, Da Gweed told students how he was always the first one finished with standardized tests. He blasted through them with the goal of being number one. In fact, he said that his teachers were so impressed with his performance and they loved him so much that they pushed all the other students to the next grade, but they wanted to keep him for another year. "Do the same thing," he announced, "and you can be just like me." This he followed with a twirl.
Mr. Gweedle, will always startle folks who meet you for the first time. There is just something about this guy that makes people want to keep bringing him back - in spite of his recent retirement from whatever it was that he did (I never quite understood that robotics and artificial intelligence stuff that he did.).
With microphone in hand, Da Gweed told students how he was always the first one finished with standardized tests. He blasted through them with the goal of being number one. In fact, he said that his teachers were so impressed with his performance and they loved him so much that they pushed all the other students to the next grade, but they wanted to keep him for another year. "Do the same thing," he announced, "and you can be just like me." This he followed with a twirl.
Mr. Gweedle, will always startle folks who meet you for the first time. There is just something about this guy that makes people want to keep bringing him back - in spite of his recent retirement from whatever it was that he did (I never quite understood that robotics and artificial intelligence stuff that he did.).
