Say what you will about National Socialism, but it is a powerful teaching tool.

As a fetus, one has a lot of time to think. For the last several days, I have been considering Irony. I just couldn't imagine a situation in which the intended meaning was the opposite of the actual meaning, until yesterday. In my classroom, Mom made her students repeat these sentences word for word after they were mindlessly parroting their classmates' wrong answers:

Mom: I want you to repeat after me, I am not a parrot

Kids: I am not a parrot

Mom: I will not repeat after others

Kids: I will not repeat after others

Mom: I will use my own brain

Kids: I will use my own brain

Mom: I have my own thoughts and my own answers

Kids: I have my own thoughts and my own answers

It was awesome! It was like listening to a Leni Riefenstahl film and my Mom was the star! Oh wow, I just used sarcasm for the first time and I understand irony. I am having a good day!