The first day of school is always so typical. Most teachers spend the time passing out books and supplies and playing the usual “How was your summer?” and “Let’s get acquainted” games. For Nick, the first six periods of the day went by quickly. Then, seventh period with Mrs. Granger was all business. First, she gave the students a vocabulary pretest of 35 words. Then, came a handout of class procedures complete with a sample of how headings on assignments should look. All of Nick’s peers knew he was a complete expert at asking the “teacher-stopper” question. Three minutes before the class would end, Nick would ask a question that could side track the teacher just as they were about to give out the assignment for the next day. The question would side track them so much, they would have no time to explain the homework. At precisely the right moment, Nick asked Mrs. Granger the “teacher-stopper” – where did all of the words in the dictionary come from? Nick thought he had for sure avoided a first day homework assignment for him and his classmates, but Mrs. Granger was on to him. Before class had ended, she assigned the homework assignment and also gave Nick an extra report for the next class to find the answer to his question. Nick was so shocked he barely heard anything else Mrs. Granger had said. His plan had been foiled.