Aromatherapy for fieldtrips

We had a field trip today where the buses were late, very late.  It was a big field trip and 90% of the school was going.  As we waited and waited, the children grew louder and louder, and the chaperones grew more and more tense.  One chaperone brought an aromatherapy stick where you dabbed the relaxing fragrance of lavender on the inside of your wrist and breath deeply to invoke a calming state.  The news spread and I looked up to find the parents en mass sniffing deeply of their wrists. 

What do you tell these kids?!

To model a persuasive letter, I wrote an example letter where I'm trying to persuade my husband not to curse so much.  The kids were intrigued and delighted at the insights they are gaining about my family (and were quite engaged during the lesson).  When I recalled this at home, my husband was first wary, and then perturbed.  "I may be too embarrassed to ever see your class now!", he finally managed.

Don't go out of town again!

I am currently teaching a persuasive letter unit.  One of the kids wrote an eloquent and poignant letter trying to persuade her parent not to go out of town.  She expressed her loneliness and feelings of isolation, her desolation from looking at the empty space where her parent would sit.  After she finished reading her letter during our writing share time, the class was quite moved.  And then several kids asked to use some of her phrasing; they want to persuade their parents not to go out of town too! 

My spit is all over it...

Part I:  During library time when the librarian was presenting, a student was throwing a chestnut up and down, clearly not paying attention.  I held out my hand for the chestnut.  He looked at me and said, "I had it in my mouth and it has my spit all over it.  Are you sure you want it?".  My thought was NO! GROSS! OF COURSE NOT!  But I'll be dammed before I would let him know how I truly feel.  I continued holding my hand out and he dropped it in.  I won...I think.

Part II:  As I walked away looking for serious cleanser to sanitize this object, I heard him talking to the librarian.  I overheard, "What a wonderful idea to share your chestnut!  It can start our seeds display!"  Then, "Ms. Kathleen", she chirped, "Do you have the lovely seed?"  Stopping to plaster a pleasant smile on my face, I told  her about the spit currently coating said lovely seed.  She recoiled.  Then she showed me where she keep her deep cleaning supplies.

Gentlemen and Guys

I was reading from a book where a gentleman held out his arm to escort a lady in to dine. A male parent volunteer demonstrated how it was done with a student.  I thought it was cute and told the class we can try escorting each other to lunch.  The girls were ecstatic and squealed with excitement.  The time came and I asked the boys to be gentlemen and hold out their arms.  Every one of them started slouching and told me they are guys, not gentlemen.  Sigh.  I tried.