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!