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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/BikerJedi on 2025-07-09 14:02:47+00:00.

I first started teaching over 20 years ago at a high school, so this was roughly May of 2004. As a new teacher, I was the low man on the pole and ended up in a portable classroom instead of the main building. If you don’t know, it is what it sounds like. Kind of like a small mobile home trailer. They are meant to be used temporarily at best, for overcrowding or emergencies and the like.

The big problem is that Florida is hot as hell. We have two seasons: Summer and Hot Summer. This particular year, our AC in the portable couldn’t keep up. The insulation in the building had been damaged in a hurricane the previous year and had not been repaired yet. As a result of those two things, it was hotter inside the portable than it was outside in the shade with a breeze. So I said “fuck it” and moved class outside and taught math in the courtyard for a few days.

One of the assistant principals saw us, and asked to see me later. He asked why I was teaching outside, and I explained. “Teach in your classroom.” I tried to negotiate. What if the front office has my cell number? What about the media center, can I teach there?

“Teach in your assigned classroom.” Bet.

That weekend, I went to the home improvement store. I bought a 50 gallon trashcan, a large standing fan, a small pump and some copper tubing. I rigged it up so the chilled water would be pulled through the tubing that was zip tied to the front of the fan. Then Monday I went to work early and got a bunch of ice from the cafeteria to put in the trash can. I filled the cooler with water and dumped that in there with the ice. I now had enough ice water to make cool air.

When the kids showed up for first period, we had some air. It wasn’t as good as a real air conditioner, but it helped. The kids thought I was a mad scientist, and that actually made me think about switching subjects to science later. No kids I am not a mad scientist, just basic thermodynamics here. By third period kids are telling each other about it.

We went that way for about a week and a half before it ended. I got called in to the office.

“Why am I getting phone calls from parents about some science experiment in your MATH CLASS, Mr. Cobb?” It seems some of the kids had been talking about my DIY solution at home.

“It’s a home made air conditioner. I told you ours was crappy. You didn’t want to address the situation, so I did.”

I was told to disassemble it, and by some miracle, I had a newer AC unit in my portable the next day.

The principal was PISSED I “made the school look bad” and she non-renewed my contract at the end of the year, so I had to find a new school.

My son goes to that high school now. Those same portables are still in use.