Count Down

I have 13 days left with my students. Really only 8 classroom days. Which is really only 5 and 1/2 when you put in all the performances, goodbyes, assemblies, etc. It's the wonderful time when you feel like family with your kids. They are so happy to come and go from the classroom, help you clean out a cupboard, return library books, admire their workbooks, cherish one more game of Heads Up Thumbs Up.

Well, that's all or the tears will start.

Job Perks

Besides the occasional baked birthday treat, one of the perks of teaching elementary school is getting to join in on the activities the children are doing.

The best one recently for me was dancing along with kinders to Michael Jackson's "Blame it on the Boogie."

Don't blame it on the sunshine. (wave hands overhead in a rainbow motion)
Don't blame it on the moonlight. (make a moon with both hands to the side)
Don't blame it on the good times. (dance disco)
Blame it on the boogie. (wiggle all over like a kindie!)

Suddenly stress from report card writing and state testing results seems trivial!

More silly sayings:

Another kinder student asked me, "Do you sleep at night in America and come to school in the day?"

Still another was heard on the playground saying with an angry voice, "If you do that again, I'll knock your bloody teeth out!!" Well, then.

But on a comical note, I had one child come to me telling that his older brother swore at him just then on the playground. The brother came rushing up to me to tell that the little brother was the one swearing. So, I began talking to the brothers about how one shouldn't swear or use bad words, that the older one really was a role model, and that if he swears, then of course his little brother will start swearing, blah, blah, blah. The older brother is watching and listening to me all the while.

Then, in the middle of my verbal barrage to him, his eyes light up, he gets a big smile on his face and interrupts me saying, "You sound just like you're from a movie!" So much for the effectiveness of my sterling disciplinary strategy!

Kids Say . . .

Overheard today in my classroom during their Scripture lesson (yes, Scripture, taught by the ladies from the church across the street):

"The Bible was written by a bloke named James."

"Nah, the Bible was written by heaps of blokes!"