See Pat teach. See Pat have fun. See Pat have fun while teaching. See Pat connect with other fun teachers to enjoy teaching the kids meaningful life skills, such as the importance of being able to understand and follow directions. See Lisa. Lisa is one of Pat’s best teacher friends (and friends in real life….cuz middle school ain’t real life kids). Lisa and Pat feel the same way about the world, education, having fun, and HUMOR. We will call Lisa: LEE-SA-SA, or SA-SA for short. (that’s sahhhh-sahhh for you people who just read that as say).
Once upon a long time ago, in an earlier life, when we had the energy, SA-SA and I had a wonderful time with a group of 12 and 13-year-olds while teaching them about following directions. We simply asked the kids to write directions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The kids thought we were nuts (we are) but they didn’t know that SA-SA and I had purchased a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly (squeezable now! who knew?? I don’t get out much), a loaf of sliced bread, napkins, plates, and a butter knife (because it’s school, we don’t use sharp objects in the classroom…BUTTER KNIFE.)
Anyway, when the kids were finished writing, SA-SA and I had them sit around a large rectangular table. She told everyone that she would read the directions aloud, Mr. Moeschen would follow them, make the sandwiches and we would enjoy a feast. The kids were down.
SA-SA began with: “Step one. Take 2 slices of bread and put the peanut butter on it.”
“Wrong.” I said. The kids all started telling me that the directions were perfectly correct. I placed the bread (still in the wrapped bag) in front of me, and placed the closed jar of peanut butter on top of the loaf, just as the directions stated.
“Wrong.” I repeated. “I cannot obtain 2 slices of bread, as the bag is still closed.” Some kids laughed, and others asked for their papers back. It took 3 or 4 classes for us to make one correct sandwich. IT got messy. If the directions didn’t mention a knife, I used my hands. My favorite one stated: Smoosh the bread together and enjoy. I balled up a mess of P, B & J and told the kid that he should enjoy it first. Take the bread? Sure….I grabbed the loaf and rolled out of the classroom. “Take the bread where?” I asked. The possibilities were endless and we had a ton of fun. SA-SA and I did things like this often over the years. She retired one year before I did and then did something amazing that she told me she had always wanted to do since she was a little girl: drive an ice cream truck. I had no idea if she was actually serious, since SA has a dry sense of humor and a poker face delivery even when she’s joking (she confused her students with that approach for 30+ years) but it turns out that she was as serious as a dead man. Scoop’s Out! (LLC) was born.
SA-SA and her husband bought a white truck, installed a freezer, painted the sides, added eyelashes to the front headlights, painted the inside, built a counter, found some tapestries to hang in the back, hooked up with an ice cream distributor (another funny story about THAT relationship in a future post), got permits, visited with the board of health, registered her business at the state level, applied for sales licenses in several towns, printed cards, marketed on social media, bought a freezer to keep inside the house for stock overflow, obtained another license to sell snacks (but not hot drinks yet…..that’s more permits and licenses….being a small business owner is fun, they said. Do it, they said.). AND in the summer of 2022, SA-SA was ready to roll.
I am happy to tell you that her business has been extremely successful and her ice cream choices are delicious. She was kind enough to make my house in Salem one of her first stops, and I can also tell you that GONE are the days of the creepy ice cream man wobbling, distorted ragtime-Stephen King-keyboard music that comes from the van. (free wifi in there?). Using Spotify, SA- SA rolls around blasting The Beatles “Good Day Sunshine” and other classic rock tunes while she “slings” in the neighborhoods.
She and her assistant (her husband Andre….he’s hilarious also…..ask him to bite his nails and he will show you a great joke) also do parties, baseball games, school outings, grown-up parties and special occasions, such as “I will text Scoop’s Out for an ice cream emergency and she (if free) comes over like an ambulance to a swat call.” OK, not that last one, but SCOOP’S goes all over the place selling out ALSO because SA SA was (and is) just about everyone’s favorite REAL TEACHER. (the kids call her that because she taught social studies….which is a REAL CLASS, while music and band are not REAL CLASSES. Kid logic). Everywhere she goes, people know and love her and her truck is DOPE AS F—. A young lady working at a local convenience store recently told her that as she was outside gassing up. Lovely youth of today. Enjoy more ice cream.
Scoop’s Out! (like school’s out…since she retired…get it??) we wish you continued success. The Moeschen family loves you and salutes you for following this dream. I haven’t had the guts to ask her if she is making more money now than in the classroom. I don’t think I want to know.
Stay safe, stay awesome, stay tuned, and if you are local to southern NH, check it out HERE
Patrick moeschen 
Love Lisa! Great teacher, great person.