Eeeww

Seeing a student pick his nose and then eat what he picked ranks in the top 3 things I dislike about my job. 

That is all. 

Aren't You...?

We had Back to School Night last night. Fourth grade had a good turn-out, probably because we don't do the talking. We make a movie with the kids explaining everything, and parents show up to see their kids on "the big screen."

One of the parents came up to me after the session and she had her sister with her. Her sister just kept staring at me. Finally, the sister says, "Maybe you taught here when I went to school here. Do you know a teacher named Miss Blank?"

"That's me! I was Miss Blank! I got married a few years ago." I replied.

And she burst into tears and threw her arms around me.

Well, as it turns out, I was her 3rd grade teacher and I seemed to have had a bit of an impact on her. (But not visually...)

She's 21 years old now and going to college. She wants to be a teacher, and credited me with that (although I think others probably had as big an impact or more.) According to her and her sister, her favorite year was 3rd grade, and she often spoke about me after she left our school.

How touching!

She asked if we could stay in touch.

I said no.

Just kidding.

She loved third grade and that was worth a million bucks to me. Of course we can stay in touch ! It is so gratifying to see one of my students all grown up and working towards a wonderful career.

I feel so lucky!

She's Gonna Die?!?

We always start off the year in fourth grade by reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. (If you haven't read it, you really should! Click here to watch the 1973 version of it. You'll never understand the rest of this post without having read it.) 

(Oh, and it's a good book.)

The book is a terrific launching point for introducing the Depth and Complexity icons we will be using with the kids all year. It also conveys a message about selflessness and caring we like to reinforce. 

So we were discussing using the Unanswered Questions icon, looking for things we were left wondering about after reading the book. 

The questions they developed included:

Why did the tree always give so much to the boy?
Why didn't the boy ever say thank you?
Why did the tree let the boy use her like that?
Did the boy love the tree, even when he got older?

And a lively discussion followed each question. It was a great deal of fun!

Then a girl asked, "Why was the tree willing to die for the boy?"

So I asked her to expand on her question, and she said, "She's a tree with no leaves or branches. She gave them to the boy. Now she's going to die. Why would she do that?"

And that's when it hit me. 

That tree is gonna die! 

I've read this book a hundred times. I read it as a kid and have read it to every class I've had for 17 years. 

And I never realized that the tree gave her life for the boy. 

How did I miss that?!?! 

But a nine-year-old saw it. 

I

Love 

Teaching!

Day 1

Today was my first day with my new class. Well, 1/3 of my new class. I've only met my homeroom so far.

And how did it go?

Wow! Thanks for asking!

It went well.

If "well" includes having a kid tell me I have old, wrinkly hands and having another kid swinging his jacket over his head like helicopter whenever he thought I wasn't looking. (Getting caught once stops most kids, but not him.)

Should be fun!

In reality, they seem like a super sweet bunch and I'm looking forward to working with them.

I'll keep you posted.

Let's hope some funny stuff happens!