At a loss (of hair) for words

Indiana teacher Dave Toevs figured that getting his students to read more was worth the hair on his head.

The teacher made good on a promise made to his third graders at Southeast Elementary School and let five students shave his head. It was in exchange for the students' effort in hitting new heights in reading achievement.

"I thought he was kidding when he said this," school secretary Dorinda Turner said as she watched the first student take a big chunk of Toevs' short hair.

His students took delight in seeing their teacher succumb to their little hands with an electric razor.

"I'm nervous," Toevs jokingly said as the razor whirred in his ear. "I think I'm having a panic attack."

The students read 4,261,549 words over the course of a year through the Reading Counts program at the school.

When asked what he might do to motivate them next year, he suggested he might dye his hair.

It certainly seems to have worked. The kids say that they've been inspired to keep reading through the summer. Getting kids to read is important, and it's great to see teachers going out of their way to motivate the kids.