Stepped right into that one

Each week we have a new "grammar of the week" topic in my class for our 5-minute opening routine. The kids work on a few quick questions/problems on the board after they enter the class while I take attendance, etc. It gets them right down to business and gives me a minute or so to take care of any clerical/management issues before I start teaching.

This week, we were working on nouns.

Scene: (Remember, I teach 7th grade)

Each student has a piece of paper with two columns. On the left side is a list of "common nouns," (restaurant, movie, city, etc.) On the right side are two blank lines for each common noun, they are to write down two "proper nouns."

For example:

Common Noun: Restaurant Proper Nouns: Olive Garden, Taco Bell

This list is from the teacher's workbook, I did not create it.

On the list for common nouns is the word "ballplayer."

The students ask, "Mrs. Scott, what is a ballplayer?" Many are asking, so I decide to answer them all as a collective class. I announce,

"Folks, if you are raising your hand because you are unsure what a ballplayer is, a ballplayer is an athlete."

A student then raises his hand, "can it be any athlete?"

"No," I say, "only one who plays with balls."

Yeah. Stepped right into that one.