Oh how I hate February and March. I am not sure what it is, but the kids all go crazy. They can't keep their mouths closed or sit in their seats. Recess is like a battlefield and all the teachers are on the verge of murder. But we are nearing the end so there is hope. I can't believe the end is in sight. So, I haven't written anything for a while, but I was looking at my other posts and I didn't remember half the stuff I wrote. Good memories, so I have to keep writing. Here are some stories I can remember...
I always create a slightly hostile environment in regards to BYU vs. UTAH. This year I really didn't try to, but I have some die hard UTAH fans and couldn't let them get away with the comments they were making. So, one of my students brought in a Utah poster for some reason. Another boy told him to show it to me and so he did. I grabbed it and pretended to rip it up. He screamed and said, "I told you she would take it and rip it up!" They know me too well.
I have a student whose mom is from Australia. She has the coolest accent. He was born here, so he doesn't have an accent, but every once in a while he says a phrase that I know comes from his mother. I always know what he is saying, but he just says it in a weird way. For example, he says "meant to" a lot. He will say something like, "Are we meant to do this page for homework?" Haha, I find it super adorable!
We had a dance festival where each 3rd grade class learned a dance from a different country. Our dance was a "couples" dance. When I told them that they all fell over from embarrassment. But I had them over it real soon. Except that every time I said the word "couple" they couldn't handle it. Another thing I found very funny about this was some of the kids inability to skip. At one point they had to link arms and skip with their partner. To me this seems like a fairly easy task, but apparently to 8 and 9 year olds it is not so easy. The first few times we practice I literally had kids trip and fall flat on their faces. I had one boy who honestly did not know how to skip at all. It was the funniest thing to watch. I about died laughing at their attempts to skip in sync.
A little while I had a substitute because I was gone for some reason. I came back to school after the weekend and one of my students, R, came up to me and said, "Miss Collett I am sure glad you are back. I sure like you better than the substitute." I kind of chuckled and asked her way. She proceeded to tell me that I was more fun and had a better voice. When I asked her about the better voice she explained to me that the subs voice was very monotone and quiet and I am more perky. You would have to know this girl, but it was very sweet and hysterical all at once. She uses a lot of words to explain herself, but very sincere and sweet. I love her.
I make 6th grade boys cry. Those of you who are around 12 year old boys would understand how great an accomplishment this is. I am not sure what it is, but they are scared of me. In our school we have "think time". This is where if a student is bad they can be sent to another teacher in the school. It is kind of like a step below going to the principals and mostly for the teacher to get a break before they kill the student. I really like it for the few kids who need it. Every teacher is paired with another teacher. I am paired with a 6th grade teacher. So, when they come in my room I just tell them to sit down and fill out the paper that they are suppose to. In all honestly I don't think I am mean, but I certainly don't act happy when they come into my room. Then when I feel like they have sat there for a while I talk to them about what they did and why they shouldn't have done it. I explain that I don't want to see them back in my room and send them to class. So, truly I don't do anything to them, but I think it must be the annoyance and disappointment I portray. Whatever it is it works, because they do not want to come to my class. I now have all the 6th graders come to my room for think time. A substitute tried to send one down and he claimed he didn't know where my room was. Lie. He had already been in my room a few times. Another one I am told cries when he has to come in my room. Some of them would rather see the principal. The 6th grade teachers love me for it though. I swear I don't bet them. I am just a tiny little person. :)
If you haven't ever read "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" then I strongly suggest you do. I didn't even know what the book was about, but another teacher suggested it as a good read-a-loud book for my class, so I bought it and we started reading it. About a page in I couldn't stop laughing. Granted I think it had to do with the mood I was in that day, but seriously, as I kept reading I kept laughing harder and harder. Eventually I literally couldn't even read anymore, because I was laughing so hard. I was trying to control myself because the kids were starting to get out of hand, but I couldn't. 5 minutes later I managed to pull myself together. My students thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. The next day they were so excited to read, but I assured them I wouldn't have a laughing attack again. Except I did. I don't know what it is about that book, but it sure makes me laugh.
Can I tell you how proud I am of some of my students? I have a few who I think are amazing writers. Their stories really read like a good book. It amazes me how creative they can be. I love writing. It is definitely one of my favorite subjects to teach, because you really get to know the kids personalities on a different level. Here are some examples of their writing:
"A dark creature was looming over his nest. You could hear the creature’s deep breathing, smell his horrible breath, and worst of all, hear the bloodcurdling scream it emitted when it was angry. The creature was stealing Camo’s nuts and fruit."
"What could have done this? But then he remembered the screaming. The Beast. No one knows what the Beast looks like, but the ones who do never live to tell the tale. "
"One day when she was in a field she heard crying. Cyrus looked in a nearby bush and saw a darling little girl. When the little girl got sight of Cyrus she said, “Horsy I am Cindy and I am lost. My family went up the mountain. Can you help me?” Cyrus whinnied. Together they headed for the mountain."
"Hi my name is Rylee. Yesterday I figured out how to make up good and bad excuses. Yesterday I forgot my homework, so you can probably guess that I was sitting at my desk sweating to death. Mrs. Riddel was coming around to check homework, but what would I say?"
"If you want to get out of writing class you have to put a chocolate carton of milk in your desk then chew up cheerios and fruit loops and finally spit it in your carton of chocolate milk. Mix all the chocolate milk, the cheerios, and the fruit loops together and put it in your mouth. Next, go up to your teacher and spit it out onto her desk, because then you will be sent home immediately!” I have to say that I’ve learned a lot from that boy. Try some of this stuff out. I have to go now, because I need to go get a package of ketchup from the lunch room."
The one thing I strongly believe with writing is to not ever give the students a topic. They are plenty creative. Forcing them to write about a certain topic just hinders their creativity. Besides how many of us write better when it is something we want to write about?
Well, I am really enjoying my second year of teaching. My class is really good and fun at the same time. They make me laugh all the time and they love to joke around. I feel less stressed this year for sure. Everyone said the first year of teaching was the hardest, but when I was in it I didn't feel too overwhelmed. Now that I am in my second year though I have noticed a big difference. I love the people I work with, my administration is amazing, and I really like 3rd grade. I am lucky to have a stable job.
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