Inspired by Coaster Punchman’s heartwarming tale of a teacher, I bring you one of my own.
None of this is made up. It’s all true.
I had a physics teacher in high school named Teddy Baer (pronounced “Bear”). Yes. I know. I don’t know how he made it to adulthood, either.
He didn’t have the witchy maliciousness of CP’s Ms. Lowmuff, but he certainly had his share of problems.
He was actually a shop teacher, who, probably due to budgetary concerns, was tapped to teach high school physics. I’m using the word “teach” in the loosest sense of the word.
I remember vaguely doing lots of quadratic equations, for purposes that elude me even to this day.
Mr. Baer had a habit of mispronouncing words, many of them being quite amusing.
There were enough of these that my friend Tim and I actually started keeping a list. Sadly, this list has been lost, but I still remember a few.
The all-time favorite of mine was him saying “Connecticut energy” instead of “kinetic energy”. He said this a *lot*. I actually got a detention a couple of times because of uncontrollable snickering.
Despite having some levity in the class, I would have much rather learned a bit more about physics — overall this class was a pretty big drag.
So, how did I exorcise the demon of Teddy Baer?
Why, with a song of course.
Click to hear –> Requiem For A Physics Teacher
I was just learning to play guitar, Tim was just learning how to play drums, and both of us were learning how to sing badly. Still, a nice song.
Here’s the lyrics, if’n you can’t understand our adolescent caterwauling.
Up there, It’s Mr. Baer
He’s gonna jump
He’s gonna jump
In a classroom far away
There lived a man who died today
Thought he was king of all equations
But he forgot about acceleration
Mr. Baer you got no hair
But we don’t care if you float on air
We think you’re such an awesome teacher
But we don’t if we should beseech you
Not to jump
Not to jump
Connecticut energy
Motary rotion
Can you stand
On Jupiter’s ocean?
(You know you can’t, Mr. Baer.)
All right
All right
Up there, It’s Mr. Baer
He’s gonna jump
He’s gonna jump
Watch Mr. Baer do the slamming wall dance
Does he know he’s got chalk on his pants?
He should be home, drinking his Coors
But instead he’s falling forty floors (Oh no!)
Mr. Baer you got no hair
But we don’t care if you float on air
We think you’re such an awesome teacher (Word!)
But we don’t if we should beseech you
Not to jump
Not to jump
Please….
