Signs of the Times

Today during one of my small groups, I was having students find sight words with a pointer on a pre-printed phonics mat that we use during this time. The word "we" is one of their sight words and I asked them all to find it. All of them did except for one boy who looked at me very puzzled.

I asked, "Can you not find it?"

He said, "No, it's not on here."

I said, "Yes, it is, look at the top row, it's right there (and pointed at the word)."

He said, "That's not how you spell we....you spell it W-I-I."

At which point we had to have a brief lesson on the difference between the game console wii and the word we. Fun times.

The things kids argue about...

So it's been a little while since I posted last, so I will post a couple of quotes from the last few days. Last week, two students were arguing as they walked back to the classroom from the gym (they have to walk outside through a breezeway). When we went to find out what they were arguing about, one little boy said:

"Do you think God is offended when the weather smells like steak?"

Apparently they though the cafeteria cooking lunch smelled like steak (which is definitely wasn't) and the boy thought God was offended by the smell and the girl he was arguing with did not. I mean really, where do these kids think of this stuff?

Life Advice from a Kindergartner

So today during writing I was conferencing with a few students and out of the blue, one of the little girls asks me if the boy at the table is going to be my boyfriend. I laughed and said...

"Well, first of all, I think he's a really cool guy, but I think he's a little too young for me, and second of all, I have a husband, and I don't think he would be very about me having a boyfriend."

She said, "WHAT? You have a husband? (which I had told her at least 5 times before) Then where are your kids?"

I said, "Well I don't have any yet. I just have a husband, but I don't have kids."

She said, "Well, when are you going to start growing babies in your tummy? You need to do that before you get too old you know."

I just laughed and said, "I don't know. I think I will one day." In my head I was thinking, gee thanks kid . I'm already freaking out a little about turning 30 this year. I don't know if I needed that life advice from you!

She did what?

So, being in a Kindergarten classroom, you are sure to run into your share of tattle tales. Our class actually isn't too bad about it, but there are a few. Today during our math workshop, students were working at different stations. I was talking with a group of students at their station when one of our sometime tattle talers ran up to me and said,

"Mrs. Barnett, she took that name in bain!"

My first response, "Wait, what? What happened?"

His reply, "She took that name in BAIN!!!"

Still confused, I asked the girl he was talking about what she had said, and she replied, "I JUST said, Oh my gosh. It's really not a big deal."

He responds, "Nah uh, she said the G-o-d word NOT gosh."

At this point I realize he was trying to tell me she had "taken the Lord's name in vain, NOT some name in bain."

Oh what a joy that was to try to explain to one girl why that might bother other people and give her some other options and choices of what to say instead of that . Oh, everyday I am learning something new!!!

Wait...What happened exactly?

This morning I was a little nervous about the day's events...field trip, substitute teacher for the second day AND my first observation by my university professor all in the same day. So, it was nice to be greeted by one of my friends with a big hug when she arrived this morning. After the hug, she proceeded to look up to me and say:

"Mrs. Barnett, I need a band-aid NOW!"

I said, "Why, what happend?"

She said, "I got bit by something! I was bit by some kind of animal!"

I said, "What? What bit you?"

She said, "I think it was a gerbil."

I said, "Where did you get bit by a gerbil."

Her answer, "On my finger!"

I said, "No, not where did it bite you, but where were you when you when it bit you? And how did it happen?"

She said, "I was at my friend's house waiting on the bus. I wanted to pet it, but I think my hand smelled like meat or cheese or something, and it bit me!"

Sure enough when I checked there was a little bite mark on her finger that I assume came from a gerbil. Now I can officially say that I have treated my first gerbil bite!

It was just one of those days

So today was a little crazy. Nothing earth shattering, just all kinds of little things throughout the day. One of the things that happened did make me laugh a little (on the inside as to not embarrass my kindergarten friend it happened to).

So, we finally got out to recess, which is usually a time I take a little bit of a deep breath, and all the kids do too. Its good for all of us. Well, we had not been out there even 2 minutes and one of my friends came up and yelled...

"Mrs. Barnett! Mrs. Barnett. _____ (name left out to protect my little friend :-)) has something gross all over her!"

So, I walk over, not all that concerned thinking she has a little dirt on her knee or something, and I walk up to find her back, from her neck to the back of her knees COVERED in mud. It seems she had been playing on the ledge that goes around the playground, slipped and busted it in a huge mud puddle. So, we had to take the long way out around the playground (so her friends wouldn't see her) to go back in and get her change of clothes out of her backpack. On our way back, I was asking her what happened and if it had been a good idea to play where she had been playing and she said....

"Well, I learned something. Don't ever play like you're walking the tight rope next to a mudpuddle!"

I think there's probably some wisdom in there somewhere!

Melt My Heart

So, there is a little friend in my class who has stolen my heart this semester. This morning she brought me a sweet little valentine snowglobe. On the way to lunch after talking about hearts and being each other's valentine in class, she looked up to me and said...

"Mrs. Barnett, My heart is in my chest, and my heart is beeping for you."

Melt my heart :-)

What's that you say?

Today, my two quick quotes came from the same kindergarten friend.

First, he was telling us that he was going to see a play tomorrow morning. We asked him which play, and he said "Hansel and Frankenstein!" I'm sure that my friend who is playing Gretel really appreciates that!

Then, I was working with him on a small moments story during writing time. It was about him playing with his sister. One line of the story said, "We play sword fight and we play Star Wars." Then he asked me, "Do you know how you play Star Wars?" I said, "Not really, how do you play?" He said, "Oh, you play with your life savers." I said, "Are you sure is life savers?" He said, "Yup, they light up and you use 'em like a sword." I didn't have the heart to tell him he was actually playing with a light saber not a life saver. Oh well, he'll figure it out eventually.

Name that Celebrity

I've mentioned before that this week we have been working on biographies of famous faces. As part of the project, the students are getting to make replicas of their famous person. Today the Abraham Lincoln group was working with our teacher's aide and she commented that he looked like the pre-Johnny Cash version of the "Man in Black." At which point of course the resounding question was, "Who's Johnny Cash?" To which we replied..."You tell us first who you think he is and we'll tell you if you're right or not." Here were the answers...

"Wasn't he on a cartoon or something?"

"No, no he was the guy with a talking dog on TV."

"Wasn't he really rich, that's why his name was cash."

"Wasn't he the guy in the Men in Black movie with the aliens?"

Finally, one boy said, "Wasn't he a singer?" To which we replied, "Yes, he was."

Another boy said, "Oh, you mean a singer like Michael Jackson?"

Well, I mean, not really, but I guess to a kindergartener, they're all the same.

Well, they're honest.

Well, my body finally gave in to all the Kindergarten germs I have come in contact with this year. I broke down and went to the doctor and a sinus and ear infection later came out with a shot and some antibiotic. I have been feeling better, but the worst part is when I feel like I am going to start having a coughing fit while teaching. I had one of those moments today while I was observing the reading group I am going to take over next week. So, I popped in a small piece of candy my teacher had and it tasted a little like licorice.

At the end of the reading lesson the boy sitting beside me looked up at me, sniffed a few times and said, "Mrs. Barnett, what did you brush your teeth with this morning?"

I laughed and said toothpaste, but I told him he was probably smelling the candy I had in my mouth to keep from coughing. He laughed and said, "That must be it. I was going to tell you that I had never smelled any toothpaste that smelled like that!"

If there is anything I have learned, it is that a kindergartener will always be honest with you!

You Better Watch Out

Today, my same friend that made the mud comment at lunch yesterday had the opportunity to go the treasure box for working independently throughout the day (this is something that we are working on :-) ). She selected a Strawberry Shortcake toy. I told her that I used to play with Strawberry Shortcake when I was little too. She was able to take it out and play with it while waiting on the bus and she kept calling her Strawberry Cake. I admit that I laughed when I overheard she and another boy having this conversation as they played with their toys.

Boy said (with his toy) "Hey, I'm gonna get you."

She said (with her toy) "My name's Strawberry Cake! You wanna fight? You wanna piece of of me, huh, huh? Do YOU want a piece of ME!!!??"

I never knew Strawberry Shortcake was so feisty or violent!

What's for Lunch?

So, I admit that there are many days that I walk into the Elementary School cafeteria and say, "Hmm..." to some of the options. Yesterday was one of those days. I mean I am all for healthy choices and vegetables, but I was surprised to see collard greens on the menu. I mean I guess we are in Alabama.

One of my little friends usually fills her plate and eats everything on her tray ONE item at a time. So I wasn't overly surprised when she was the ONLY kid in our class to select collard greens. She happened to sit across from me and when she came to the collard greens, I admit that I was curiously watching to see if she really knew what she was eating.

She took her first bite and made the most awful face at me and said "Yick, I am NOT eating that. That's gross."

I said, "That's okay, you've eaten everything else, but why do you think they're gross?"

She say, "Ick, because they taste like MUD that's why!"

Well, that's probably why I don't eat collard greens either!

You remind me....

At the end of school today, there were a boy and a girl talking next to the teacher's table. Here is the conversation that took place...

Girl said, "He reminds me of my old grandpa."

I said to the boy, "Why do you remind her of her old grandpa?"

Boy said, "Because we have the same haircut...oh and because be both toot alot!"

I mean, come on, what do you even say back to that?

Back of the Bus...

So we began talking about Rosa Parks last month when we studied MLK. This week we began a biography unit where the students are paired off and have famous people to study and create their own biographies. Two of our African American students are studying Rosa Parks. First my teacher and I learned the value of pre-screening books before lessons when the boy came up to us and said....

"Who are these folks?"...and it was a picture of the KKK burning a cross. We began to try and explain that they were people who did very bad things. My teacher in a slight effort to pass it off, suggested he go ask the librarian, since it was "her book." When he did, she gave a great Kindergarten explanation...said that they were people who had done really bad things, and that they covered their faces because they knew what they were doing was wrong. The boy seemed satisfied and she asked him what else he had learned about Rosa Parks. He said...

"Well...she was supposed to sit on the back of the bus, but she sat on the front of the bus and she went to jail."

Librarian, "Why did she sit in the front of the bus?"

Boy, "Because it shouldn't matter! And you know what, NOBODY'S ever gonna tell me where to sit on the bus!"

Librarian, "And why is that?"

Boy, "Because I have an assigned seat!"

Well, I guess that takes care of that.

Happy Groundhog's Day!

So today we had a lesson about Groundhog's Day. To begin the lesson, the teacher asked if any of the students knew about Groundhog's day already. Here were the answers:

Boy 1: "Isn't that the day we give valentimbes (aka valentines) to each other?

Teacher: "No...not that, that's Valentine's Day and comes later in the month."

Girl 1: "Oh, Oh, I know! That's the day we go huntin' for groundhogs and when you catch 'em you put them in a pot and make stew out of them!"

It took my teacher and I a little while to compose ourselves after that one. Oh the joy of hanging out with five year olds!