Funny First Graders

Here are a few reasons today was a funny day!

1. When T first entered my classroom mid- morning today, the first thing that he did was state matter-of-factly to me: "Next time I'll go to the cafeteria and ask for a new free and reduced lunch application instead of screaming bloody murder." Two things are funny about this situation: his mztter-of-fact attitude about the whole thing, and the fact that he really DOES scream bloody murder. Good words, boy, good words.

2. As a first grade teacher, my mouth is moving ALL DAY LONG. Giving instructions, redirecting kids, getting people's attention, etc. Sometimes I get to a point where I start saying things that don't even make sense. The good thing is that my listeners are 6 years old and usually don't notice. Well not today. Today I introduced the sight word "all." I wanted to use it in a sentence, so I said "You can't hear me....all....if you decide to talk." What? As you can see, I kind of threw "all" in there hoping to slide it by them. Too bad I was bombarded with about a dozen shouts of "WHAT??? THAT doesn't even make SENSE!!!" Oh to be corrected by babies...

3. We were reading a story in Reading today. I was trying to question the kids to get them thinking.
Me: "Yes, E, you're right. Maybe the plant will grow into a fruit or a vegetable, or..."
'Jake': (shouts out, interrupting me): "Or maybe MEAT!"
Me: "Well, Jake, plants dont actually grow into meat.
K: "BUT IF THEY DID IT WOULD BE SO AWESOME!!!"

Do you see yet why I desperately crave adult conversation by 3pm each day?

4. We've, again, been working on higher level words to express our emotions. T came up with this one today:
T: "I know another word we can use to express our feelings, Mrs. White. Ticked. T-I-C-K-E-D. It means you are so mad and frustrated. I think I should get TWO stickers for that one, because it's not even on our wall yet."
Me: "Yes, well there's a reason for that."

5. I found that N was hiding all of the class supply of extra crayons loose in his desk. We're talking at least 150 crayons in there.
Me: "N, put ALL of these crayons back. You are stealing from our classroom. Do you want to steal from your friends and from me?"
T: "Yeah, and do you want to GO TO JAIL?"
N: (rolls eyes) "I'm seven years old. How the heck am I going to go to jail?"

6. T got really mad and threw his pencil across the classroom. We went out into the hall to talk about how this is not a safe choice and to brainstorm different ways to handle our frustration. When we went back in he wanted to make an announcement to the class.
T: "Listen up everybody. Throwing pencils in your classroom is NOT a good choice. You could really hurt someone bad. Like if the pencil gets stuck in their leg right here (points to leg.) Like one time when I was 6...no 5....no 6. No I was 5 years old or something, my mom got mad at my brother for doing that and trying to give me lead poisoning. So that's why you NEVER throw a pencil when you're having a melt-down."

He then proceeded to give an example of what not to do, which resulted in him, again, throwing his pencil, which hit S in the legs. Ironically close to where T had given his example of getting hurt. I guess we really learned a lot from that lesson on pencil safety, huh T?

I could really go on and on all day with this stuff. Days like today just brighten my week because I love to laugh and find humor with the kids. Sometimes they just stare at me while they most likely think "What is wrong with this lady? Why does she think that is so funny?"

I have some really exciting tattle book entries for you guys, but I'm waiting to collect some more before I post about them. I'm thinking about starting "Tattle-tale Tuesday." I'll start next week. What do you think?