Back to the Fucher...

The kids nominated movies they'd like to see for movie night.  I had to do a double take on this one.

Fruit leather made me lose control

Our practice during snack time in the classroom is for everyone to wait until the snack passers and hand sanitizer finish their jobs.  Then we all thank them and start eating at the same time.  I do this to instill manners and show our appreciation for the service. 

We served fruit leather today which is a rare treat.  One kid started stuffing his face BEFORE the servers were done so he would be finished earlier and get seconds.  I glared at him and when he caught my gaze, his eyes widened much like the chipmunk.  Then he stuffed the rest of the leather in his mouth as fast as he could to hide the evidence.

It's not hot at all..

We made Mayan Stew (squash, corn, peppers, beans) in the classroom to simulate the ancient Mayan food.  Although the ancient Mayans used chili peppers for spice, I didn't put it in the stew.  Instead, we had chili pepper hot sauce on the side.  I had some adventurous and proud kids in the room who tried the hot sauces.

Boy (with a beet red face and tears streaming down):  "I couldn't feel it at all!  It's not hot!"
Girl:  Gasp, choke, cough, "It's good!"  Gasp, choke, cough, "I want more of it!" Gasp, choke, cough, "Put it in my stew!"  Gasp, choke, cough.
Kids (running to the sink): "WATER!"

So I cried...

To celebrate Martin Luther King Day, our school held a Peace March where we walked around our neighborhood with signs.  I heard one of my students talking to a classmate, "I asked my dad to come but he said he couldn't."  She paused, "so I cried and now he will join us for the march!" 

Emotional blackmail works.

Passing it forward

Some students did not turn their homework.  As a result, I told them they had to make it up in the office while the rest of the class enjoyed a celebration (movie reward for filling up the marble jar with compliments on behavior).  When the first one came up to complain, I told him I already gave them four days to remember and it is not fair to those who turned it in on time.  I need the homework in my hands and I was not giving out any more time extensions.

The next one came up to complain.  This time the first complainer turn to the second and righteously preached "She already gave us four days to remember and it is not fair to those who turned it in on time!".  

Kids grow up

I taught this same group of kids last year and when I blew kisses at them as a compliment to the whole class, they were proud to be complimented.  This year when I did the same, they responded in a collective "EWWWWWWW!"  My son is now 14 and when I want to take photo of him, I get the paparazzi hand.  It's sad to see them grow up sometimes.

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.