Wipe That Smile Off Your Face

Often times we send students to the Peace Island when they are stuggling to not distract their friends, are having trouble cooperating, or needing to work something out with a fellow classmate. It is not necessarily a place that a student wants to go if they are being sent there because of their behavior. On the carpet if a student is being continuously distracting we may invite them to the Peace Island. This happened today (it happens everyday), and the student had a smile on his face as he walked there. The smile was met with this comment...

Student Observing: (In voice filled with attitude) I don't know why he has a smile on his face.

Bang for your Buck

In the classroom we do a weekly Choice and Voice. It's essentially a Show and Tell time for the kids to bring something in that they want to share with the class. It can be whatever they want. Today, one of our students brought in some sort of alphabet game/machine and a 1 dollar bill. She said that her dad gave her the dollar bill for learning her whole alphabet. This student exudes confidence around the classroom, and just by speaking to her you would think she knows her whole alphabet, what the letters look like, and possibly even sounds. She would even tell you she knows it all. Mr. P. tested her by asking her what some of the letters were.

Mr. P.: (pointing at a letter) Can you tell me what this one is?
Student: Ummmmmmm. I forgot that one.
Mr.P.: What about this one?
Student: Ummmm. I don't know
Mr. P.: This one?
Student: Ummmmm. I think I need to ask a friend for help.

Obviously that wasn't a dollar well spent.

Observations

Amy: Sydney, you have a big head!
Hannah: That's not nice, you shouldn't say that
Amy: (In a defensive voice) I mean, she has a big head in a good way!

Pwezedential Debates

One of our students saw a picture of our President, Barack Obama. Hillary responds with her idea about the president.

Hillary: I have a pwezident
Mr. P: Oh yeah? Who?
Hillary: Bawock Obama
Mr. P: That's my president too.
Hillary: But my family's gonna go and get a new one.
Mr: P: Oh why do you want a new one.
Hillary: Because he won alweddy and my mom said we can go get a new one.

Guess What?!

At the art center....

"Guess what I am cutting out?!"
"What"
"Starts with a 'Puh' and ends with an 'uppet'"

Hahaha. I have no idea.

Use Your Words

At such a young age we encourage students to "use their words" when trying to ask us to do something. A lot of this encouragement come during lunch time when students need things opened. One of our students struggles with this. At other times in the day, it is hard to get her to be quiet. She can ramble on and on about a story that most of the time you can't follow and it has nothing to do with what you were talking about in the first place. This student also changes the subject when you are trying to correct her on something. For example, you may be telling her that rough housing is not acceptable and she will reply with what her little brother's first word was.

At lunch time today, we were encouraging her to "use her words" to have us open her juice box. She sat there and stared at the teacher while she was explaining why she wanted her to do this. When the teacher finished, the student replied: "I was thinking about something bouncy."

Obviously something bouncy has something to do with using her words, right? I really think we are getting through to her!

Identity Crisis

When talking about one of our past presidents, this is the name we got: Hamaram Wincon

When flipping her name over to show us all she is here...Her mom said her name: Amy Hernandez, and Amy replies: yeah, not Amy HIMnandez. Smart cookie.

A Bug's Life

One year we had a little bug problem in our classroom. I'm not talking ants crawling up the walls, or water bugs in the bathroom, I'm talkin' the most feared bug a parent could think of. This bug is what parents hope their kids never meet. You know what bug I'm talking about...it takes schools by storm, puts fear in every educators eyes, and makes every one's head all itchy,even if they don't have an infestation. I'm talking about LICE.

Sandra returned from a two day hiatus at home to help remove the infestation from her head. Her mom brought her in at the same time many other parents were dropping off their kids. As soon as her mom walks out the door, Sandra opens her mouth and bounces on her feet..."I still have bugs in my hair." This was in front of about 6 parents that were already weary about having their child stay in a classroom where LICE had been spotted. You can imagine their faces with horror struck looks as they stare down at this little girl dancing around, and itching her head proclaiming she still had bugs in her hair. PRICELESS.

We Have Accidents

In this day in age, parents are becoming more creative with names. Gywneth Paltrow named her daughter Apple, Gwen Stefani named her kid Zuma, and best of all, Mathew McConaughey named his son Miller Lyte. Our parents aren't that crazy, wait, I mean creative. We have pretty normal names in our classroom, actually, the names are nice names. One child has a nice name, it's different though. It has an accent on one of the letters. Here is a conversation of the girl explaining the accent on her name.

Girl: I have accident in my name
Kids: Whats an accident?
Girl: It's on my name. My name is French.
Emma (puzzled look on her face): I don't have an accident on my name.

Culturally Sound

In our classroom we have many books that represent many cultures. The kids are allowed to take some of the books home to share with their families. We have one book that focuses on the Sushi eating. One of our kids (caucasian) thinks she is Japanese because her and the main character have something in common, they both like Sushi. It's nice to know at such a young age children are able to make "text to self" connections.

Race Relations

In the classroom we often have cultural music playing throughout the day. We also have a few children that are from different nationalities. One of our students, Emma is adopted from China and is very aware of it. One morning while waiting for the day to start, we had Chinese music playing and Emma decided to do some Chinese dancing.

Scene: Emma is dancing all over the carpet to the music.
Mr. P: What is going on over there?
Me: Ella is doing some Chinese dancing
Addy: Well she kinda looks like a Chinese

Our kids are sooooo culturally aware.

God Bless the USA

Many of our students have nannies. Most of this nannies are from foreign countries. The families that they nanny for love them and they do an amazing job helping the families. One student is so close to her nanny she couldn't wait to share with us some exciting news...

Sarah: Mr. P., Guess what?!?!?!
Mr. P.: What?
Sarah: Nanny becomes a citizen today!!!!!

International Awareness

It's Halloween and 3 yr old Eli dresses up in a lederhosen. As he holds his clear cup with apple juice inside, someone asks him...

"Eli, who are you?"
Eli: I'm Burt, the German"

Little People, Big World

In reference to the tallest kid in class: She gets up to get a drink of water while everyone else is sitting down.

Eli 3 yrs old: (Looking up at her from the floor) The biggest girl eeeeeeeeeveeeerrrr.

Same Student, Eli, 1 yr older. He was trying to tell a story about a student who had the same name as a student we have this year. He finishes the story, "You know Will, the big one."

This 4 yr old is Patriotic

4 yr old Addy: I don't eat meat.
Teacher: Oh, so you are a vegetarian
4 yr old Addy: (a look of disgust on her face) No! I'm an American