We were all sitting expectantly in our seats when the music blared. It was a quick-paced circus tune filled with trumpets, horns and cymbals. The rich aroma of roasted peanuts and the buttery smell of fluffy popcorn wafted to our noses. Before us formed a Big Top, with white and red striped canvas, thick wooden poles stretching to the sky, and three shallow blue circles in the center. The lights dimmed until but a single spotlight showed, and with a magnificent drum roll, the main attraction entered.

He stumbled into the room. Thick, mangy red hair grew wildly from his egg-shaped head. Two blue triangles lay below his eyes and a large crimson ball stuck to his nose. A goofy white smile, outlined in red, adorned his floury face. He constantly tugged at the oversized yellow pants, fervently hoping the green suspenders would fulfill their duty. The tiny pink shirt clung to his chest and seemed to reach down past his knees where it turned into tight socks. And just as he was about to make it to center stage, his enormous red shoes slapped into each other and sent him tumbling head over heels.

The class was silent. This was not what we had expected our teacher to be like. This man seemed befuddled and bewildered, like some absent-minded scientist. Some laughed and others immediately tuned out. I leaned forward in interest to watch this unexpected teacher. He appeared unsure what to talk about; it almost seemed as if the students were running the class.

It was when I had almost given up on him, almost surrendered to the comical appearance, that he looked at me. I saw in those eyes an intelligence that surprised me. It was as if it were not we who were laughing at him, but he who was laughing at us. His amusement was not cruel but affectionate. He knew what we thought and did not care.

That made me smile.