Web-slinger might be coming to a class near you

Behind that mask is a hero.

The real deal.

Of course, he denies it.

The hero in this story, he says, is Trina Tinder — the River City Middle School teacher who summoned Spider-Man to come to the rescue — and other teachers like Trina.

In case you missed it, Press Reporter Brian Walker documented the late April visit to Post Falls by one of America’s amazing marvels from the imagination of Stan Lee. This real-life superhero came to Ms. Tinder’s seventh-grade class to encourage her special needs kids to learn all they can so they can beat the bad guys. The response was overwhelming, particularly for a young man who had been withdrawing from life but was energized by his hero, Spider-Man.

In an impromptu interview earlier this week, Spider-Man said Ms. Tinder brought him back to class recently, and the results were again amazin’.

“This time she had me walking on my hands and doing other stuff,” Spider-Man said sheepishly. “But kids who were pretty much hiding the first time came out and joined in.”

Spidey acknowledged that he’s invested in a new outfit that enhances his already awesome superpowers. But the headline of the story?

According to Spidey, there’s now a movement afoot to build his appearances into curricula in the area. Post Falls was first, but other districts might follow, he said.

Although Spider-Man has a more than full time job fighting crime and helping people, he said he’s willing to do what he can to help children.

“I’ll do anything for kids,” he said.

One thing he won’t do, however, is take off that mask in public.

“This is about teachers like Trina Tinder and students like my new friends at River City Middle School,” he said. “It must never be about me.”

Spoken like a true hero.