I often work late at school and my desk is somewhat out of sight so I sometimes overhear students talking about things Not Meant for Teacher Ears.  Usually this merely piques my anthropological interest.  Occasionally, however, I overhear something that requires intervention.  Or not.  Consider a recent incident:

My grading trance is interrupted by an unknown boy saying sarcastically to another, “Your hair looks like Ethiopia!”  Sigh… I’m not sure what this means, but it can’t be good — somewhere on the spectrum from ignorantly inappropriate to overtly racist.  The student repeats it, louder, “Seriously, your hair looks like ETHIOPIA!”   The other student makes an unintelligible, but baffled-sounding response, while I get up and head to the commons with my stern face.  As I round the bend, he repeats it a third time, “Your hair really looks like Ethiopia…”  I’m surprised to see a seventh grader who didn’t strike me as the type to say this sort of thing — he’s a sophisticated, culturally sensitive boy.  I open my mouth, preparing to Summon him to a Conversation, when he continues, “…see, it’s kinda round here and has a thing sticking out on the right, just like we learned in geography!”  I close my mouth and they walk onward, discussing the shape of Ethiopia and other nearby countries.