Femmelette (m. – wuss – a male who is timid and weak) is a great name to call the manly man of the class. Just start calling him femmelette. Just make sure that you first ask him before class that you have a great name for the strongest boy in the class, but only one who has a sense of humor and can take a joke.
Fauve (f. – a beast – just the opposite of above) would have to go to a weaker kid – boy or girl actually – but who has the sense of humor to be called it. These names can’t just go to anyone. They have to go to the right kid, and that kid has to be comfortable enough in his skin to be able to be called that often in class.
The coolest thing about these two names, as with the other really good ones which “stick” throughout the year, is that, if I am ever in one of those moments of not knowing where to take the CI, I just say, “Femmelette!” or “Fauve!” and ask some question about the proceedings up to that point or about where we should take the story. It instantly shifts the pressure of thinking of something off of me and puts it on the wuss or the beast. It works well.
Few names have stuck this year in my classes – it’s been an off year for names for some reason. Any body else have a report on that subject? I really want to use the power in such names as femmelette and fauve. Next year I want to have a lot of names that just have that natural spark of instant humor every time they are used, while at the same time getting me out of tight situations.
[Credit: Jennie for these words as we were doing a class together last week and she suggested both of them]