Thanksgiving? Yes, please! Not only is Thanksgiving a great time to stop and think about all that we have to be thankful for (more on that later), but it's a much needed break for teachers to catch our breath before the next insanely busy 3-4 weeks before Christmas.
And I do have so much to be thankful for, one of those things being my students! They light up my life and make it interesting.
We started learning multiplication in math class, and I gave them flashcards to cut out. One girl was cutting them out extra carefully, and it delighted me to hear her say to another student, "I'm being so careful because I'm going to keep them and someday when I have kids, I'm going to tell them about how we made flashcards, and I'm going to make them use them!"
The boys talk about cars. A lot. Usually about which car is the fastest and the type of engines they have. I'm ignorant - I can't even pronounce some of the cars they talk about. I guess the girls are in the same boat as me, but the boys are not so understanding if they don't know what kind of engine the fastest car has. "Everyone should know that!" one boy proclaimed in disbelief.
Another thing the boys do is "drum" by tapping their pencils on their desks. It drives me nuts, and often I'll stop in the middle of whatever we're doing and say, "STOP TAPPING YOUR PENCILS!!" One day one of the boys responded by saying, "I wasn't tapping a pencil." (It was an eraser.) I said, trying to choose my words carefully, "Don't be smart." I knew that was a bad choice of words as soon as they were out of my mouth. I was hoping no one noticed. But immediately another boy turned to the classmate next to him and said in fake disbelief, "We can't be smart?!"
Any teacher will understand that when one person tells a story, it triggers 10 more hands in the air to tell their stories. Same goes for prayer requests. One day this week we were praying for five people with hurt fingers.
Yes, much to be thankful for. A job. The opportunity to influence these students' lives. The joy I get from doing what I love. Thanksgiving break. :)
I asked the students to write in their journals today about what they are thankful for. One boy wrote this: "I am thankful for the closts (clothes), food, house, and water because we born nakied..." Yes, we were. Add clothes to the list!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Time flies when you're having fun
Wow, I haven't posted in a month! Where is the year going?!
We've been keeping busy as usual in the third grade. The normal battles continue to be fought (especially with the boys).
"Keep your hands to yourself."
"Sit in your chair the correct way, please." (When they tip back on two legs. Or when they kneel on their chairs with their feet in the air. Or when they randomly stand up and turn their chairs around and sit on them backwards in the middle of class.)
"Keep your hands to yourself."
"Keep your hands to yourself. I don't care if it's a game you've invented called 'banana touch.' KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF."
"Please don't spike your sweaty hair. (What would your mom think?)"
"Oh, you brought a mustache to school?" :)
"Wait a few minutes until recess and then you can go to the bathroom."... "You don't have to go anymore? Hmmm..."
And then there are always the amusing comments.
"Please, God, let it snow a lot today."
Looking at a distorted picture of herself in the school newspaper, one very unimpressed girl commented, "They did something to my head to make it big."
And always the entertaining lunch conversation:
"I keep getting wedgies."
"My dad loves wedgies."
"Who likes wedgies?"
"Did you ever have a wedgie war?"
(Finally the teacher had to step in and stop that conversation from going any farther.)
My favorite laugh-out-loud moment happened this week when I was asking the class for suggestions for the prize box. They suggested a few things which made me ask, "Really? Would you actually pick that?" ...like a balloon, or a jolly rancher. I mean, it takes them a month to fill up their sticker charts. Anyway. The laugh-out-loud moment came when one boy, who had just happened to be at the dentist the day before, suggested floss. I expect that my class will soon have very clean teeth, as the floss begins to fly out of the prize box. ;)
We've been keeping busy as usual in the third grade. The normal battles continue to be fought (especially with the boys).
"Keep your hands to yourself."
"Sit in your chair the correct way, please." (When they tip back on two legs. Or when they kneel on their chairs with their feet in the air. Or when they randomly stand up and turn their chairs around and sit on them backwards in the middle of class.)
"Keep your hands to yourself."
"Keep your hands to yourself. I don't care if it's a game you've invented called 'banana touch.' KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF."
"Please don't spike your sweaty hair. (What would your mom think?)"
"Oh, you brought a mustache to school?" :)
"Wait a few minutes until recess and then you can go to the bathroom."... "You don't have to go anymore? Hmmm..."
And then there are always the amusing comments.
"Please, God, let it snow a lot today."
Looking at a distorted picture of herself in the school newspaper, one very unimpressed girl commented, "They did something to my head to make it big."
And always the entertaining lunch conversation:
"I keep getting wedgies."
"My dad loves wedgies."
"Who likes wedgies?"
"Did you ever have a wedgie war?"
(Finally the teacher had to step in and stop that conversation from going any farther.)
My favorite laugh-out-loud moment happened this week when I was asking the class for suggestions for the prize box. They suggested a few things which made me ask, "Really? Would you actually pick that?" ...like a balloon, or a jolly rancher. I mean, it takes them a month to fill up their sticker charts. Anyway. The laugh-out-loud moment came when one boy, who had just happened to be at the dentist the day before, suggested floss. I expect that my class will soon have very clean teeth, as the floss begins to fly out of the prize box. ;)
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Boys will be boys
If you want to be entertained, just spend some time with third graders. You will be.
I may have a future nurse in my class. The class was cleaning up and getting ready for lunch, when I looked over and saw a boy pretending his lead pencil was a syringe. He had the lead sticking up, and he was flicking it and everything. I couldn't even be serious when I told him to put it away. It was too cute.
The best entertainment times are definitely at lunch. (When they probably have no idea I'm listening.)
Yesterday I was quite entertained listening to a bunch of 8-year-old boys talk about slow dancing! You can imagine, I'm sure.
You know boys - they pretend to be all rough and tough even if they don't feel it. So they were talking about not feeling anything when they got hurt. One got hit in the eye today at recess with a soccer ball, and I overheard him say, "I can't believe I didn't even feel anything when the ball hit me right in the eye and I fell down!" But one of the girls piped up in a no-nonsense way, "Then why were you crying?"
Let me know if you want to have lunch with us someday. :)
I may have a future nurse in my class. The class was cleaning up and getting ready for lunch, when I looked over and saw a boy pretending his lead pencil was a syringe. He had the lead sticking up, and he was flicking it and everything. I couldn't even be serious when I told him to put it away. It was too cute.
The best entertainment times are definitely at lunch. (When they probably have no idea I'm listening.)
Yesterday I was quite entertained listening to a bunch of 8-year-old boys talk about slow dancing! You can imagine, I'm sure.
"Did you have to hold her hands?"
Nods head.
"You DID??? Ewww!"My favorite part of that conversation was when the boy finished by saying, "I'm just glad I wasn't the groom!"
You know boys - they pretend to be all rough and tough even if they don't feel it. So they were talking about not feeling anything when they got hurt. One got hit in the eye today at recess with a soccer ball, and I overheard him say, "I can't believe I didn't even feel anything when the ball hit me right in the eye and I fell down!" But one of the girls piped up in a no-nonsense way, "Then why were you crying?"
Let me know if you want to have lunch with us someday. :)
Monday, October 14, 2013
Good self-esteem, humility, and laughs
My students provide me with many things: a good self-esteem, a good dose of humility, and always a good laugh.
One morning last week, one of my boys walked into the classroom, looked at me, and said, "Well, you look pretty today!" Awww :)
One day I heard something vibrating. After finding out that it was a student's phone, I very firmly told him it must be turned OFF during school and if it happens again I'll have to take it and turn it into the principal. Not five minutes later we all heard a vibrating sound again. The students all turned their heads and looked accusingly at this boy. The poor boy put his hands in the air and said, "It's not mine! I turned mine off!" This time, however, it was coming from my corner of the room. Should I have turned my phone into the principal?
One boy was writing an answer to a question of what he wants to be someday. He asked me how to spell "catter pratter." I asked him to repeat it several times before I finally understood when he said, "Someone who cracks your back."
"Ohhh, a chiropractor!"
I am so glad to know that my students are dedicated to their school work! One morning one of my girls came to me and told me that she woke up at 11:30 the night before and remembered she hadn't done her homework. So she closed her parents' bedroom door so they wouldn't hear her, sneaked downstairs, and did it! She didn't tell them the next morning either so she wouldn't get in trouble! I suggested if it happens again maybe she could just set her alarm clock a little early. After all, I don't want her getting in trouble with her parents because she did her homework!
Speaking of girls, my class size is slowly but surely growing! We now have 15 students, and much to the girls' delight, two more girls! The boys tried to complain, but they still outnumber the girls 2 to 1!
One morning last week, one of my boys walked into the classroom, looked at me, and said, "Well, you look pretty today!" Awww :)
One day I heard something vibrating. After finding out that it was a student's phone, I very firmly told him it must be turned OFF during school and if it happens again I'll have to take it and turn it into the principal. Not five minutes later we all heard a vibrating sound again. The students all turned their heads and looked accusingly at this boy. The poor boy put his hands in the air and said, "It's not mine! I turned mine off!" This time, however, it was coming from my corner of the room. Should I have turned my phone into the principal?
One boy was writing an answer to a question of what he wants to be someday. He asked me how to spell "catter pratter." I asked him to repeat it several times before I finally understood when he said, "Someone who cracks your back."
"Ohhh, a chiropractor!"
I am so glad to know that my students are dedicated to their school work! One morning one of my girls came to me and told me that she woke up at 11:30 the night before and remembered she hadn't done her homework. So she closed her parents' bedroom door so they wouldn't hear her, sneaked downstairs, and did it! She didn't tell them the next morning either so she wouldn't get in trouble! I suggested if it happens again maybe she could just set her alarm clock a little early. After all, I don't want her getting in trouble with her parents because she did her homework!
Speaking of girls, my class size is slowly but surely growing! We now have 15 students, and much to the girls' delight, two more girls! The boys tried to complain, but they still outnumber the girls 2 to 1!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Boxes and beavers
I'm sure every teacher can relate to this scenario:
I just finished going over directions and explaining their language worksheet. "Are there any questions?"
A hand shoots up. "Yes?"
"Are you going to the parade tonight?"
"Are there any questions about the language paper?"
...and this one too.
The directions on the language page said "Write a sentence using the plural form of box." We even discussed it and I wrote the word boxes on the board. But apparently some of them were too busy thinking about the parade and such.
For science, the students were identifying mammals and holding up picture cards as I gave clues. When I said, "This is a gnawing mammal that I had in my house and tried very hard to get rid of," I was suddenly staring at 13 beavers. "No, I did not have a beaver in my house." :)
I just finished going over directions and explaining their language worksheet. "Are there any questions?"
A hand shoots up. "Yes?"
"Are you going to the parade tonight?"
"Are there any questions about the language paper?"
...and this one too.
The directions on the language page said "Write a sentence using the plural form of box." We even discussed it and I wrote the word boxes on the board. But apparently some of them were too busy thinking about the parade and such.
We pay taxes.
Some rivers are large.Oh dear.
For science, the students were identifying mammals and holding up picture cards as I gave clues. When I said, "This is a gnawing mammal that I had in my house and tried very hard to get rid of," I was suddenly staring at 13 beavers. "No, I did not have a beaver in my house." :)
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
This & that
It's October already? I found myself writing the date as 9 10/1/13 today.
My birthday seems like a long time ago already, but I should let you know that all of the students' clues did not disappoint! It was a special day from the "Happy birthday!"s I got from students first thing in the morning to the fourth grade girls coming to the door and singing "Happy Birthday" to the "surprise" party with moms and cake and ice cream and balloons and cards! And when my students figured out that I turned 29, and I said, "I'm getting old!" it was nice to hear them say, "You're not old a bit! You're still only 20-something!" :) (I guess I better enjoy this year.) I even received a sweet belated birthday card today from one of my boys. I knew it was going to be good when I saw the "Be mine" sticker on the envelope. He wrote, "You are such a nice teach and that I really like being in third grade!" Made my day.
Despite all of the birthday celebrations, we have been learning some things, too. I hope. We just finished a unit on Ancient Greece in Social Studies. When I told them about Plato, they started laughing, and I had to explain his name was not "Play-doh", but P-l-a-t-o. A few days later, we were reviewing, and I asked who was Socrates' student. One boy said, "...Clay??" :)
Today was picture day. All of the boys looked extra nice with button-down shirts and combed hair. I overheard one of them telling another student, "I even had to wash my face this morning!"
I'm reading aloud Trumpet of the Swan. Imagine reading a book about falling in love (swans or otherwise) to a third grade class of mostly boys. Let's just say there was some uncomfortable giggling and nudges and glances. Maybe that's why I like to be extra dramatic when reading those gushy parts.
If anyone out there is missing a metal teaspoon, one showed up in our classroom. It doesn't belong to anyone. Yes, some of them had a spoon in their lunches, but of course all of them remembered to put it back in their lunchbox, and none of them have spoons like that at home! So apparently it just appeared out of thin air. I should ask the moms.
My birthday seems like a long time ago already, but I should let you know that all of the students' clues did not disappoint! It was a special day from the "Happy birthday!"s I got from students first thing in the morning to the fourth grade girls coming to the door and singing "Happy Birthday" to the "surprise" party with moms and cake and ice cream and balloons and cards! And when my students figured out that I turned 29, and I said, "I'm getting old!" it was nice to hear them say, "You're not old a bit! You're still only 20-something!" :) (I guess I better enjoy this year.) I even received a sweet belated birthday card today from one of my boys. I knew it was going to be good when I saw the "Be mine" sticker on the envelope. He wrote, "You are such a nice teach and that I really like being in third grade!" Made my day.
Despite all of the birthday celebrations, we have been learning some things, too. I hope. We just finished a unit on Ancient Greece in Social Studies. When I told them about Plato, they started laughing, and I had to explain his name was not "Play-doh", but P-l-a-t-o. A few days later, we were reviewing, and I asked who was Socrates' student. One boy said, "...Clay??" :)
Today was picture day. All of the boys looked extra nice with button-down shirts and combed hair. I overheard one of them telling another student, "I even had to wash my face this morning!"
I'm reading aloud Trumpet of the Swan. Imagine reading a book about falling in love (swans or otherwise) to a third grade class of mostly boys. Let's just say there was some uncomfortable giggling and nudges and glances. Maybe that's why I like to be extra dramatic when reading those gushy parts.
If anyone out there is missing a metal teaspoon, one showed up in our classroom. It doesn't belong to anyone. Yes, some of them had a spoon in their lunches, but of course all of them remembered to put it back in their lunchbox, and none of them have spoons like that at home! So apparently it just appeared out of thin air. I should ask the moms.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Birthday suspense
Then this morning one girl said, "We went shopping last night!" She had just been talking about the sweater she was holding, so I said, "Oh, is that sweater new?" And she said, "No, we bought your gift!" Later she volunteered to pray at the beginning of the day and she prayed that I would have a good birthday tomorrow.
Fast forward to lunch time. One of my boys came up to me and said, "Can I tell you something?"
"Yes!"
"People are going to bring you gifts. I know it."
Smile. "Are you supposed to tell me that?" I whispered.
"Oh, well, I don't know... if they're bringing them... you know."
I let him off the hook and didn't ask any more questions. But another boy, overhearing this, asked, "When is your birthday? Oh! Tomorrow! TOMORROW IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!"
Well, no matter what tomorrow brings, I'm looking forward to spending it with my students!
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