Stealing My Plastic Bugs

So, I'm in Target today and there are plastic bugs on sale.  Giant bugs $1 a piece.  Perfect for next month's theme in school of Bugs/Plants.  I put six of these lovely specimens in my cart and continue shopping.  After throwing a few more items in and heading towards the checkout, I decide to park the cart and check out their selection of flip-flops. Upon my return to the cart, I catch a little boy knee deep in my cart trying to quickly gather up the giant bugs.  I make sure he isn't with a scary, threatening-looking parent, and say, "Hey...where are you going with those?"  He looks at me sheepishly, hands them over, and says, "Here ya go."  I inform him:  "I need those.  I'm a teacher."  He replies, "You're a teacher?" and walks away.  I thought for a second...why was that so surprising for him to hear?  Was it because I was sporting my Star Wars t-shirt and jeans or perhaps because I was upset about the thought of losing my giant bugs?  You really can't mess with a teacher who found a cheap teaching tool at Target.