Sunday, December 20, 2009

Book Choices

In kindergarten, we're learning how to choose books we like. A lot of girls want to find books about princesses. Others want to learn about animals.

I get to work with the quirkier ones, though. One likes to find "Bleeding Books." These are where someone is bleeding or maybe has just been bleeding. She really like Shel Silverstein poems.

Another likes books with "Mean Faces." She's the class tongue-sticker-out-er and eye-roller.


Thursday, December 10, 2009

Surprises from the kindergarten set

Most of the time, the kindergarteners I know are pretty typical. They cry when someone steals their crayon; they need help tying their shoes; they like to tell you the love you.

Today, though, I was mightily surprised not once, but twice.

Incident #1:
During snack, I overheard one girl say, in a fake British accent, "Charlie bit me! Ouch, Charlie! That hurt!" Usually the cultural references are more Hannah Montana-related. Youtube viral videos? That's new.

Incident #2:
At dismissal, one kid who usually goes to afterschool was in the family pick-up line, and I didn't think twice about it. After her afterschool group left on their merry way, she yelled, "I need to go to afterschool!" Uh oh.

I had no idea where the group went or where the program was located, but the school aide told me they had just left and we could maybe catch up. So kindergartener and I went flying down the street, her with flailing arms and me with a pink Hannah Montana backpack. Once we got to the corner, the group was nowhere to be seen. Uh oh times two.

Luckily, kindergartener wasn't half as worried as I was. She seemed to know the way, saying things like you turn here and then go down a curve. After about 5 twists and turns down Bronx blocks, we arrived at the program. I would've been lost without her, but this kid knew her stuff. Future cartographer?

Monday, November 30, 2009

If You Like It, You Better...

I often seen one of my little ones on the subway in the morning. She's in kindergarten and has speech disabilities. She's a little hard to understand and also talks super loudly.

The other day, she spotted me a few seats over. Though squished between her 8-yr-old brother and very pregnant mom, she yelled my name and tried to climb out to meet me. I didn't think that was good for our fellow passengers, so I got up and went to her.

We shook hands, and that's when she noticed my ring. Oh boy, this was exciting. She grabbed my hand, yelled at her mom, "Ring!! He got a ring!!!" and started doing the Single Ladies dance. No jokes.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Visual

As you might expect, there are a lot of pictures in kindergarten and first grade. Especially when the kids can't read yet. So I spend a fair amount of my time drawing things that are, somehow, supposed to express a ton of meaning.

For a "Writing Partner" lesson, I needed to show, "Partners listen to each other and provide feedback. Partners share their writing clearly. They sit side by side. They take turns."

Sometimes, the meaning gets skewed. Like here:
If I didn't know better, I'd think this lesson was on how to stare adoringly at a friend, perhaps alienating yourself, even though she should be the one who's alienated because of her hairstyle.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

When I grow up, I wanna be...

Every class gets to pick a "star of the week." The star gets to do all sorts of things: wear a special ribbon, hand out papers, steal numbers off the hundreds chart. My favorite thing is the Star of the Week Interview.

It is written down and put on the wall. Hard-hitting, it covers questions like, "What's your favorite color?" and "Why are you special?"

It also asks, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Predictably, the girls' answers usually include doctor, teacher, and police officer (although that came out of nowhere from a mini, smiley kindergartener).

This week's top answer: fire truck.

When pressed, she answered that, no, she didn't want to be a firefighter. She wanted to be the truck, spraying water and everything.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Peacocks

Let's face it: things got busy. Opening a charter school takes brain energy, and why post if there's nothing to note?

But today, there was something to note.

When reading a label book (you know, "tiger" is written right by a picture of a tiger), one of my grumpiest kindergarteners found a peacock. At the top of her little lungs, she shouted, "Cockbush!" It was followed up with "Lion!"

She had no idea....

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Binary

One first grader is new to schooling this year, so she's working hard to learn what's what. In her writing journal recently, she's been creating wonderfully illustrated stories. The text goes a little like this though:

3.11.4311.21344.

She's got the period thing down.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

"I want to be God"

Today we got to write about what we imagine. I imagined a school where everyone wore pajamas. First grader S wrote about summer all year. First grader A imagined the library. (?)

One student drew a house with flowers and a sun and wrote, "I want to be God." She loves church.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Tiller was a great album

One kindergartener with a speech impediment (or a dental impediment...unclear which) sings "Tiller, Tiller..." and does the dance complete with zombie moves.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

What do I usually look like?

Yesterday a kindergartener told me I looked like a girl. A first grader told me I looked like a zebra.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Back to School Night

I love meeting students' parents. The similarities are always hilarious.

Smock or Straight-jacket?

Yesterday, I was in a kindergarten class learning how to play with water. My job was to figure out how to get the smock on the kids. It was harder than you might imagine.

I pulled one very pliable student to the side and had her try it on. Once I got the belt around the waist and her arms were sticking out at a 90-degree angle from her body, I lost it. I couldn't stop laughing. Neither could the other teacher, which just made things awkward. The pliable one just stood there, movement-impaired, as she pretended to play with water.

I wish I had a picture. She was a good sport.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

It's an official MJ problem

Overheard in kindergarten:

student 1, raising a hand: "Who gave you that necklace?"
teacher: "My friend Michael."
student 2, yelling: "Michael Jackson?!"

Seriously, you guys? What happened to Hannah Montana?

Monday, September 21, 2009

MJ part 3

A different student this time wrote, when given a topic of choice, "my favorite song is Michael Jackson. He is a king of pop."

Friday, September 18, 2009

Bhangra!

I went to dance today with first grade. It was fantastic.

Friday is Funday so they were learning Bhangra. There's maybe nothing better than seeing kids bobbing their heads and smiling and hopping.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Distraction

The ELL (formerly known as ESL) teacher came in during writing and taught a great lesson on spelling.

After the lesson and while the little ladies were supposed to be writing about the weather, one stared intently at the new and entertaining teacher. The teacher was wearing a turtleneck.

I oversaw her stare and scrunch up her face and ask, "How'd you get your head in your shirt?" She really wanted to know.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

It's Salami

Kindergarten does a lot of "guided discovery." This means they learn how to use materials safely and to say "please" and "thank you" when using them.

On the bulletin boards outside the kindergarten rooms is beautiful evidence of this: construction paper (material #1) cut with scissors (#2), glued (#3) onto blank paper (#4).

The kids made collages, and the teacher asked each child what hers represented. Most of the work says, "It's my mom" or "It's me at school."

In the corner of the bulletin board, on a crumpled and ripped piece of paper, is a jumble of purple and blue, labeled "Salami."

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Aggressive Hugging

I remember being a kid and being aggressively hugged by adults. It was enveloping, and it was scary. Especially if the adults had boobs.

But maybe things have changed. Today, a kindergarten was aggressively hugging me. It was neither the time nor place, and I was having none of it. I told her so. She got off me and then came back for more, her head right into my boob.

For reasons unknown to me, she didn't find this scary. Instead, she poked my boob. And made a "boo" sound.

?

Friday, September 11, 2009

Weighted Frog

I got a weighted frog this week. She's cute and fuzzy, and in her bottom is 5 lbs of beady weight.

Her name is Froggy, and she's therapeutic. I've been spending the most time with her. Most of the time she sits in my lap or on my chair, unless I'm massaging her legs to get the beady weight back where it goes. Maybe someday she'll actually be used with kids. Let's hope not. I want her to be clean.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

First Grade Yogis

I went to yoga with first grade today.

It was great. The kids did a mostly good job with the poses. Downward-facing dog was their favorite.

My favorite was watching them sit, which is what we've been doing since the beginning of school. Sitting. I'm not sure where they learned about yoga, but a number of them took the opportunity to sit like a cartoon, legs crossed and hands on knees, palms up and fingers in circles. Very ohm.

Unrelated to teaching...

...but related to kids:

On my way to the subway home yesterday, I saw a little kid in one of those harness-leashes that is dressed up to look like a teddy bear. (I know, right?)

He was off the leash and running towards me and some scaffolding. His mom, angry, yelled out, "Yo! Where you going? You off the hook!"



Tuesday, September 8, 2009

"Is it lunch yet?" reprise

Today was the first full day of school. Breakfast starts at 7:20, and the girls leave at 4:00. Long day for a little one.

Also, we share our school with another building of middle schoolers and yadda yadda yadda lunch is at 1:10.

The girls are 5 and 6, and they are almost always hungry. Around 11, one student meekly asked, "After recess and lunch, are we still going to be this hungry?"

!


Friday, September 4, 2009

Update on MJ

She wrote about him in her princess journal. With crayons.

Pre-K boyfriends

Duh, kids say the darndest things, but it's always eye-opening to get stories from other teachers and what they overhear. So, from another teacher:

Kindergartener 1: I had sex with my pre-k boyfriend!
Kindergartener 2: Me too!
Kindergartener 3: I had sex with my brother!
everyone: ?!

Someone needs birds and bees (or turtles, what what).

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

MJ

One kindergartener is, as I've heard from other teachers already, obsessed with Michael Jackson. And sure enough, in my one 5-minute interaction with her, this is what ensued:

me: [sit at lunch table]
kindergartener: hey! hey! [tugging at me] you know Michael Jackson?
me: Yes.
kindergartener: He died!
me: uh huh
kindergartener: My grandma and I have a video. We watch it every night and cry.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

No Boys!

Everyone's new to the school (since it opened yesterday), and the kids are adjusting slightly better than the adults.

I was in and out of classrooms today and heard the following happen more than once:

Teacher: "It's time for __, boys and girls..."
Student: "We got no boys! [giggle giggle giggle]"

Who needs 'em!

Monday, August 31, 2009

"Is it lunch yet?"

First day success! Minimal tears and, as far as I know, no bathroom accidents in the whole school.

All this week, the kids leave at 11:30. It's a happy way to begin the school year. And most of the instruction is about how to sit.

They really need to know how to sit. But...

Around 9:30, after an hour and a half of sitting in various places, a first grader semi-yelled at me, "Is it lunch yet? Because I've had enough."

Oh you just wait, first grader. Sitting's just the beginning.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Jitters

The balloons are ready and it's the first official day of school tomorrow.

They're going to come wearing backpacks and jumpers. It'll be the cutest. And then they'll go home at 11:30.

Back 2 school is cool!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

I am the tin man!

My whole brain report said:

"She will most probably not be comfortable in an environment that requires her to be emotionally sensitive and show empathy."

I'm semi-devastated and am rethinking my life choices.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Field Trip!

We're going to Riverdale tomorrow to do something called a Whole Brain Workshop. It might involve color coding.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Oil Spills, the book

We have day-long meetings these days, and it's hard for me to sit still. I've tried weighing myself down with boxes, and that helped somewhat.

But today we got to read new books. Mine had a sad otter on the front. It was tragic.

It's a hilariously not-so-age-appropriate book about oil spills, with a clear political bent. So sad! Apparently there's an oil spill a day somewhere. And if I learned anything from Saved By The Bell, it's that ducks don't like oil spills and it's sad for everyone.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Wangari Maathai

I got to sit on the floor and be read to today. It was inspiring. 

Another teacher read us a kids book about Wangari Maathai, who is maybe the most amazing lady

She was born in 1940 grew up in a village in Kenya, helping grow crops. She was a stellar student and won a scholarship to go to college in the U.S. She ended up with a Masters and then got a PhD from the University of Nairobi. This was way before Columbia accepted ladies, period.

When she returned to Kenya, there had been tons of deforestation. So she planted some trees, planted more, and got local women to plant trees themselves. Somehow in the process, she spent time in prison for causing trouble. This whole thing started the Green Belt Movement, which has now resulted in over 30 million trees being planted. 30 million!

Am I the only one who didn't know about this? 

She got the Nobel Peace Prize and is now part of Kenyan Parliament.

Cheesy moment? Yes. 
Inspiring? You bet.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Hello, ladies!

Project!

We will open with 6 classrooms, each of which needs to be named after a special lady. Some parameters:
  • She must have gone to college.
  • She must have had a positive influence on her community or profession.
  • Her accomplishments must be able to be understood by 5- and 6-year-olds.
  • As a whole, the group needs to be ethnically diverse.
So far, I've got Majora Carter, Michelle Rhee, and Indira Gandhi.

Suggestions?

I need to doodle

We have lots of meetings before school begins. I'm all for it, really. It builds school culture and sets expectations.

But I have to be on my best behavior.

This is hard for me because I can't sit still. One of our professional norms is "Be Fully Present" and I really can't.

I usually doodle, and the helps me focus. But I've been getting some sneers, so I've tried not to doodle. It doesn't work. I nod off.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Back To School

On the first day of 90+ heat, my summer is officially over. And I started teaching at a new school. Eek!

It's brand new. Like first year new. 

We're on a bright yellow floor in a giant middle school building. It's a typical NYC public school building, which means it has a labyrinthine system of up and down stairwells, old brass doorknobs that say "NYC Public Schools," and gigantic windows that require multiple pulleys and poles to open.

The cafeteria has scary, anthropomorphized foodstuffs painted on its walls. I hope I adjust.

So far, it's just teachers. Kids come later.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Summering

You can't argue with 6 weeks of paid vacation, on top of other vacation, so I won't. But summer can be difficult. 

I don't do well without routine. When I was in elementary school, I would make myself a daily schedule:
  • 8:30 wake up
  • 9:00 swim
  • 10:00 snack
  • 10:05 saved by the bell (it was on TBS)...
But so far, I have been keeping busy. For example, I have gone to IKEA twice on the water taxi. And I might go again because it's that fun. Today, I am looking forward to a trip to the hardware store and the laundromat. Adventure!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Chapter Complete

Official last day. Had to say goodbye to the deli slicer... the giant spider on the ceiling... and everything else.
Hey, at least I got to be a touristy mom and document everything with my camera. And they gave me a plant.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Now that school is over...

The last day with the kids was on Friday. I've avoided posting because I hate goodbyes.

On Thursday last week, the kids had their last publishing party. We invited parents (all but 3 came!) and toasted the writers with apple juice. Cheers, kids!

Once the parents left, the kids had a magical hour of enjoying books, reading to each other, and being read to. It was a free-for-all that was lovely. A teacher couldn't ask for anything more. 

And then Friday came, and we inventoried the room and cleaned up. We celebrated with individual awards and a raffle of classroom posters. I got mauled by a group hug and nearly lost it. Lots of tearing up and, not wanting to be weird, holding it all back. Then the kids walked out the room, singing our goodbye song.

The thing is, I'm not coming back to the school in the fall.

It's been a tough year, and I'm looking for something new. Starting in August, I'll be teaching at an all-girls' school in the Bronx. They will wear jumpers. With patches on them.

But tomorrow is the last day for teachers. It'll be goodbye sparkly birthday crowns, goodbye dangerous art installations, goodbye large-scale puppet projects. Goodbye weird smell in the hallway. Sigh!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Gifting

End of the year business, and everyone feels friendlier. So today I got a memo pad and some cereal pieces from kids. 

One generous soul brought in copies of National Geographic for Kids for everyone. Very thoughtful!

She even wrote their names on the top. Unfortunately, she didn't have a roster and names are tricky to spell, so written on top...

Marcus got "Markis"
Maimuna got "My moon a"
and, my favorite: Isaacs got "E-sock"

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Open Mic

The teacher end-of-the-year party was tonight. Teachers getting down is sort of funny? Will write more tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

"I believe I can touch..."

On our way to the mailbox outside, we saw the art teacher. She was eating a chicken drumstick. 

This prompted one student to begin singing "I Believe I Can Fly," which he did for a few verses. And then it turned to:

"I believe I can touch the chicken wing. I think about it every night and day..."

...?

Monday, June 22, 2009

This Is How People Become Pundits

One kid likes to think of himself as the math whiz. He will take any question and answer it. His usual tactic is to say, "I know what 1,000 times 1,000 is. It's 10 million." It gets the kids every time. So legit-sounding.

Someone tried to stump him today with, "What's 1,000 + 1,000?"

He looked up, thought a bit, and declared: "That's a good question. It's 30,000."

The questioner nodded thoughtful, totally in awe.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Signs of the Times

No update on the cans yet, but our signs from two weeks ago are going strong.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Civic Success!

I love teaching community activism, maybe because my activism involves angrily calling 311 when I see syringes and then just griping about it for a few weeks. Teaching about it makes me feel better.

So we've been on a "Get More Trash Cans" campaign. 

Really, the neighborhood is nearly devoid of them. We went on a roughly 8-block walk and counted just 4 of them, all at one intersection. 

As you might imagine, trash is everywhere in the neighborhood. And it's gross trash too. I have seen, among other things, whole raw turkeys, used condoms (many daily), and biohazard buckets.

Today, after previously posting signs and writing letters, we decided to take matters into our own hands by calling my all-time favorite, 3-1-1.

Although the 311ers on the other end of the line had to stifle their giggles, they took the requests of the students seriously. They asked the right questions, and one savvy kid responded appropriately. He said that we needed more trash cans because we only counted four; we have too much trash; and no one seems to care. So, after waiting on hold and complaining about the number of transfers we had to endure...success!

Someone will be coming by within 5 days to check out our intersection and determine whether or not we can have a trash can. We even got a confirmation number. Woo!


Totally Inappropriate

Good news: Student E. earned all of his bears today, which meant a dance party!

Things were all right for a while, with everyone just bopping along in their own place. The one kid doing the worm had to sit on the sidelines. 

I started to notice things going slightly haywire though when one student grabbed his crotch and then his belly, shaking the belly in front of another kid saying, "Belly dance! Belly dance!"

This might have prompted inappropriate incident #2, when a different student shimmied up to me, rubbing his rear against my leg. 

only one more week of school

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Story Pirates, part million

Story Pirates again today! They're the best. We had a lovely outdoor performance, and then later they screened a highly creative video.

I am the best techer!


Well, she knows how to format a letter.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Rainy Monday

Not much to report. We had 4 kids return today after fevers galore. I wonder how many will be out tomorrow...

Friday, June 12, 2009

That lady from the King and I

Today the kids' group mentality went for the cute. While lining up after lunch, the swarmed me with a group hug. Totally unwarranted, but I felt like that lady from the King and I. Particularly when I had to pick the little one off me from the back.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Teaching is Like Birth Control

I enjoy kids. I really do. They're hilarious, and they need to learn so I'm happy to teach them. 

But my official stance is that teaching elementary school is a form of birth control. It's not just that I don't want to deal with the runny noses and incessant questions in my off time (although I'm not sure that I do...). It's more that teaching leads to the realization of how responsible you need to be to be a parent. The selflessness required is frightening.

Sometimes, though, things are too cute. My research group had to be semi-quiet today while the other group was working on their Insect Research Books. So instead of the usual raucous puzzle-making, phonics-gaming, or block-building that happens at the end of the day, we decided to read some of our favorite books. 

The kids picked Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. Great choice. So, for a brief 20-minute period today, I read Knuffle Bunny and Knuffle Bunny Too while the kids giggled and enjoyed and laid down on their bellies. And then they went over the top by asking to read Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day. When Peter walked through the snow with his toes pointed in and then toes pointed out, I almost teared up. Almost.
 

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

This made me shudder:

blue whales.

We're doing "final exams" in first grade. This involves reading books with each kid, one at a time. One book is on blue whales.

They are so big.

They are as big as 25 elephants. And a baby blue whale can gain up to 200 lbs a day.

Aaaaahhhhh. There is nothing scarier.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Overheard, Overseen at Dismissal

Overheard:
"I saw a white rat. I touched it, and it hugged me."

Overseen:
Our newest class clown slapped his own butt at the end of the "Find Your Seat" song. Zing! 

Standardized Testing

...is the worst.

I took my own yesterday. So terrible. I understand trying to be intimidating for the sake of maintaining order, but come on. Do we have to get fingerprinted and have our passports checked?

Friday, June 5, 2009

"Field" Day

It rained a lot today. So much we had to stay indoors for Field Day. No Pelham Bay Park. No field. No daylight. People had to barbecue our burgers outside in the rain.

My school is located in a renovated kosher sausage factory. It is small. Sounds reverberate.

I've never had so much stimulation, and it'll be a long time before I recover.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Green Grasshoppers

For field day tomorrow, I'm in the Green Grasshoppers. Here's our cheer:

Green Grasshoppers. Green Grasshoppers. What you gonna do when we conquer you? Green Grasshoppers. 

(Think "Bad Boys, Bad Boys" but with awkward syllabification.)

I don't even know...

We had vision and hearing tests yesterday, and apparently nearly half my class is getting referred for more intensive vision screening. I mean, really? Plus 3 of them already have glasses.

2 kids got ominous letters home saying they "may have a hearing problem." Oh, man. Remember those tests? Maybe it was just me, but they were petrifying. I figured I'd find out I was either deaf or schizophrenic.

I think I cheated a number of times. Beep?

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Blisters

Today I learned that Blister Beetles have poisonous blood that oozes on their captors, causing blisters.

I also learned that glue right out of the hot glue gun will stick on you. And give you a big blister. 

My forefinger is throbbing and coco helado can only help so much.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Hello, Spirit Week


It's spirit week. This means all week long the kids are going to be anxious, hyped up, jittery, and on edge.  This madness began today and will culminate on Friday at Pelham Bay Park. It'll be Field Day, which means we'll all get wet pants from water balloons. Better than wet pants from the alternative(s)!

Today was "Choose Your Own Way" to show spirit. My class voted on "Hats and Glasses." 


I had been keeping my fingers crossed for fake noses, mustaches, and black frames. No such luck. 

One of my favorites got through a loop hole in the rules. He for sure wore glasses, but the hat was a little iffy. His reasoning was that, today, his hair counted as a hat. We had to give it to him. I mean, how could you not? 

I think he's been gearing up all year for this. Me, I'm just having trouble finding a somewhat professional-looking outfit for multi-color day tomorrow. 


Friday, May 29, 2009

You totally had one of these in your school

I just caught him in line, giving himself a wedgie and then showing it to other kids. I mean, really?

Sword of Damocles

My school hearts art all over the place. There's always stuff on the walls, on stands in the middle of the hallway, and hanging down from the ceiling. Right now, here's a peek into what we have:

  • chrysalises hanging from the ceiling
  • a giant spider attached to the rafters
  • nationalistic umbrellas hanging from the ceiling
  • large-scale puppets attached to the wall (permanent installation)
and, duh duh duhn...
  • a huge, frighteningly sharp, sheet-metal sculpture 
This huge, frighteningly sharp sheet-metal sculpture is hanging above the staircase, where a friendly box with twine around it used to be. It looks like a deli slicer and probably will slice someone any day now.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Dung Beetle

Bits:

  • Studying the eating habits of dung beetles (i.e., they eat poop) prompted one kid to exclaim again and again, "I'm hungry!"
  • Another bathroom accident.
  • Another bloody nose.
  • Glue on face.
  • Swine flu symptoms.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Research Trip


We might want to campaign for new trash cans. So we investigated how they got this awesome community center built.














We listened and learned and inquired. And we took notes.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Best of Writing

"Me and my mom was home. We were woching the golden girls. It was very, very funny!"

"My dad was sad because my dog was bleeting in the tail."

"On that sunny Sunday, me and my mom were going to Manhattan. There was 2 clouds, 1 sun, and 1 house."

"I had a good sleep last night. Ontil a man screemed like this 'aaaawh aaaaawh.' I said in my mind, 'be quiet man. Some people are trying to sleep here.'"

Monday, May 25, 2009

Happy Memorial Day

vacation!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Smallness

I usually forget how small my students are. But then I'll have to help with a broken belt buckle or help button up pants. They are so small. They weigh like 50 pounds.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Fingers and Toes

It's not always easy to tell why you would count by 10, or 5, or 2. So we started at almost square one: fingers and toes.

This involved me standing barefoot during math. One kid counted my toes while another kid counted my feet. Eew.

And I had a moment thinking, "wtf do I do all day..."

That didn't last long because we had to hold hands and count.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

"Ants Are Cannibals"

Insect update:

The butterflies have all emerged from their chrysalises. Two already died. Two from the other class already mated. Oo la la!

The mealworms and beetles are all over the place. Some are still mealworms; some are in the pupa stage; some are beetles. The beetles are starting to eat the mealworms. Something--maybe swine flu?--hit the pupa, which are dropping off like flies. One even had a hold in its head.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Smells Fishy

Two related bits:

1. The kid who wanted to sleep in the Mouse House exclaimed today, regarding the classroom, "I want to sleep in here!" Is that his way of expressing enjoyment? 

2. The classroom stinks to high heaven on warm days. You walk in and get a blast of what I can only assume is dead animal.

Puts these two together and I just don't know.

P.S. I'm starting a campaign for saying, "I want to sleep in here!" whenever I like a place. The movies, art exhibits, the kitchen. Who's on board?

Monday, May 18, 2009

One-eyed Stick Figures

One student consistently draws people as stick figures with one eye and a smile. The eye is on the left side of the face. Every time.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

First Grade Besties

Most first graders have assorted friends. But not everyone has a best friend.

Best friends are special. They are each other's number 1, all the time, even when they get in fights. I had one (what's up, MCB!) and it made first grade a blast. But now I know why we were split up for second grade. 

Bestfriendships are oddly unhealthy.

Usually, best friends are eerily similar. I have had 3 bestfriendships in my classes over the past few years: two boys O and N, two girls J and T, and boy and girl M and N. At first glance, the friends seem different--loud vs. shy, friendly vs. awkward, boy vs. girl. But after a few weeks in one classroom, the similarities come out, loud and clear.

O and N, from last year's class, were bizarre, creative thinkers. They were bright and independent. No doubt, they both had fascinating interior monologues continuously running. And they loved each other. They needed each other. I remember a trip to the park last year, when N was building an anthill and O was in the grass a few feet over. N just yelled and yelled, "I need you! I need you!" O didn't want to help. It went on for a bit.

J and T, also from last year, were tomboys who were a little behind academically. They cared for each other, helping with scraped knees and tying shoes. They were also mischievous. When studying insects last year, one stole a chrysalis as a butterfly was emerging. We never got the story straight because they wouldn't break from backing each other up. They both took the rap for killing a crumpled-up butterfly as it was metamorphing. That's love.

And this year, M and N are the power duo. They both have neat handwriting, great math skills, and silly attitudes. They sit next to each other almost all day, and whenever we make partnerships, we have to keep them together. They're just too sweet. But then the other day, M showed N his underwear. So, sigh...it had to happen some time.

What's so striking to me is that these best friends pick don't pick each other because they share mutual interests ("hey, I like robots too!") but because of the types of people they are. 

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Tidbits from Zoo Day

I can't believe it's only 3:30. Tidbits:

  • In a visit to the dark, stinky Mouse House, one student loudly proclaimed, "I want to sleep here."
  • We saw a python eating a rat.
  • It rained nearly the whole time. Which prompted nearly synchronized outbursts of "umbrella, ella, ella, etc." on a few occasions.
  • One kid was sort of the grandpa from Forget Paris on the bus, and he kept reading signs and commenting. Endearing.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Threat of Pinkeye

Kids have two trump cards:

1. bathroom emergencies
2. pinkeye

And they know it.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

States of Confusion

There's a lot to be confused about in first grade--when is recess? how do caterpillars turn into butterflies? what makes up a family?--and sometimes teachers make it worse.

In math right now, the kids are taking an inventory of classroom materials. They need to figure out how many pencils, colored bears, geometrical shape blocks, etc., we have. This calls for organization at the very least, and an understanding of a number system based on 10 at the most. Fingers crossed, in a couple days we're going to discover place value. Mystery revealed!

In the meantime, there is hilarious and purposeful confusion all around. One group is organizing some books, and they can't decide if there are 34, 35, or 36 of them. Maybe because their tactic is to spread them around and hop from one to the other counting out loud....

Another group is counting shells, and they organized by making a triangle with 1 at the bottom, then 2, then 3, upward to 12. Maybe they're better at math than I am, but that took some thinking on my end. 

Two groups are definitely on the right track. One was working with popsicle sticks and made tally marks out of them. Four sticks squished together parallel with one stick intersecting. 

The other group had pencils, and they put them in 5s. But they really wanted to do tens but didn't have a way to put them together. They demanded rubber bands. Which we didn't have. So they ran around and got some tape and made do.



Monday, May 11, 2009

Sick Day

Everyone said that I would build up my immune system so much in the first year of teaching that I'd never get sick again.

Not true.

I need to learn my lesson and just refuse to touch hands or pencils that have been in mouths. End of story.

Fingers crossed it's not the bird flu. Last week, one of my students told me to watch out. He suggested getting a face mask. Maybe he was right.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Teacher Appreciation Week

In an effort to boost teacher morale, my school opted to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day for the first time ever.

It was thoughtful. We got a 15-minute break to eat snacks while the Literacy Coach read a book to the kids. When we came back, they had not only read a book but had written us a letter. Apparently the kids appreciate all that we do for them. New vocab (appreciate) usage! wooo!

The outcome of this as been more hugs than usual in first grade. Random hugs are undoubtedly cute, but I am pretty immune to them at this point and would usually rather the kid get in line or get back to reading. 

But I even got a scented candle from a student today, and I really do appreciate it! It will go next to my teacher collection of snow globes.

Unfortunately, I've let this go to my head. All week, I got so used to being given hugs and drawings and stuff that I almost stole someone's picture today. I assumed she gave it to me. She was confused when I took it. We both felt sheepish. 

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Things That Make Us Sad

We went on a community walk yesterday to learn what is in the community (ooh firehouse, ooh post office, ooh barber shop). 

Little do the kids know, this is going to morph into a unit about social change, bureaucracy, and democracy. Hopefully we will write letters and advocate for ourselves.

But in the meantime, the kids had to take notes about what they saw in the neighborhood. Armed with clipboards, they walked along and jotted down things like, "dog poop" and "tree" and "bodega" and "my cousin." 

Today we organized our notes into categories. To be expected, categories included "places to get food" and "places people work at." But then one of the smallest students, the one who hops and giggles, said in her small voice that we needed a category of "things that make us sad." 

Everyone agreed. So far, the list includes garbage and broken glass. I'm glad it doesn't have other things on it yet.

Sigh.

But who knows? Maybe we'll get more trash cans and convince the city to collect the garbage regularly. Letters from six year olds can be very persuasive.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Something Afoot

Today was a red-letter day for the footbridge. An incomplete inventory:

1 poops
1 sock (15-20 feet away)
1 hypodermic needle

Something, or someone, is clearly afoot on the bridge.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Everyone loves a birthday crown

In movies and in my memory, elementary school was a goofy place to be. Now I know that all the songs were to teach us things we didn't want to learn, and the dress-up days were to keep us interested enough to keep coming back.

But sometimes it's undeniably just for fun.

Like birthdays. Understandably enough, we celebrate the kids' birthdays. They get sparkly birthday crowns, but usually we regulate any sort of celebrate to lunch and recess and no other time. If we don't forget, we'll sing the birthday song. We sternly cut back on the extra verses.

By natural extension to the celebration, we get to celebrate adult birthdays just as--if not more--enthusiastically. And who wouldn't love it? My last birthday crown, from over 7 months ago, is still in my bedroom.

Today was maybe the teacher birthday of all birthdays though. It was the art teacher's, and she went all out. She had a gold personally-crafted crown, arm bands, and an armor-like breast plate. Happy Birthday indeed!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Non Sequitur

I hate wasting time. In meetings, I hate getting off track. At the grocery, I hate waiting at the deli counter. 

Sometimes that means I'm heartless.

One of my students loves to let his mind wander. He is hilarious and creative, but--wow--he is unproductive. Today, he had to think of  a new story to write. 

Due to complications with allergies and pinkeye, he was seated in the front office near the receptionist, trying to get his work done. I popped by every once in a while to see how it was going.

It wasn't going well. I knelt down by him, for my 60-second teaching moment before I had to head back to class. Here's what went down:

Me: What are you writing about today?
Student: I'm not. I can't think.
Me: Well, did anything interesting happen over the weekend?
Student: Not really. I'm gonna die.
Me: Hmm, let's think of a story topic.
Student: It's true though. I'm gonna die.
Me: Mm-hmm.
Student: Aren't you sad?
Me: No, that's just what happens. Let's get back to work.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Dance Party Fridays

I got elbowed in the face during Dance Party Friday, morning edition. 

It's gotten out of hand. We started pretty calm at the beginning of the year, with your disco points and everything, but now we've got attempts at break dancing and overtly sexual awkwardnesses. One of my favorite dancers--the one who hops and giggles--didn't even know what to do when it was her turn. She tried something semi-breakdance, semi-shimmy until she gave up and bunny hopped around the circle.

Things just aren't what they used to be.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

...before lunch

We had:
-two cases of pinkeye
-one issue of diarrhea
-one constipation issue
-one fast-growing skin allergy

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Clay Thingy

Uh oh.

During art class, the kids were using brown clay. One kid, allegedly, made a penis out of clay and put it on his pants. He sneakily got others to peak.

Oh, sigh.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Stripping and Molting

Today we did the molting dance.

This is when you pretend to come out of your larval exoskeleton, after you ate too much and got too big for it. You wiggle and wiggle.

Scanning the room, I thought it was pretty cute.

And then I saw evidence of serious miscommunication: one student, belly exposed past the button, had her arm in her shirt and was about it take it off. Yikes stripes!

Unexpected skin exposure never goes over well. Too many squeals to handle before lunch.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Who let the leaves out?!

On Friday, a fiber artist began her residency in first grade. We'll be making a soft-sculpture butterfly garden with all sorts of life cycle information.

While cutting out fabric in the shape of leaves, one kid started singing:
"Who let the leaves out? Leaf! Leaf! Leaf! Leaf! Who let the leaves out?" etc.

I can totally relate. Songs with lyrics changed to match your activity are the best. 

And especially when you go a little counterintuitive. I mean, someone boring and normal would've said, "Who let the leaves out? Who? Who? Who? Who?" Not this kid. He knows what's up.

Ringworms and Mealworms

Not really a worm #1:
Second ringworm outbreak of the year = ... adventure? And how does it end up on kids' heads? Checking for ringworm plus lice is too much for one scalp.

Not really a worm #2:
I didn't know what mealworms were until I started teaching. You buy them in bulk at Petco, and they tell you to refrigerate them. But if you don't...duh duh duhn...they go through their whole life cycle and become Darkling Beetles. Which look like roaches.

Last week, I picked up this year's set. Yay. 

You put them in a critter cage with some oats and stuff and then watch as the mass of oats slowly and almost imperceptibly moves around and wiggles. If you're lucky and you're the teacher, you get to reach in and pull some out to study. If it's an awesome day, you might even get some molted skin. 

I heard a rumor once of a teacher who has a self-generating aquarium full of them. Some in the mealworm stage, some in the gnarly white pupa stage, and some beetles...that look like roaches.


Thursday, April 23, 2009

Sock on the Footbridge

Ok, so the footbridge again. It's not really teaching-related, but it's got bodily fluids, so I figured...hey.

The other day I saw two turds coming out of a sock on my way to work. Two human poops, one sock, and a host of questions.

It was still there in the afternoon, but with one poop.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Kind of Like Twitter

6-year-olds produce really urgent-sounding sound bites. They usually start with, "Can I tell you something?!" and begin before I can attempt a response. At the end of the day, here was the newsfeed:

"My dog is picking me up on Friday!"
"My grandma is in the hospital. Her legs got cut!"
"I got juice in my backpack! Juicy, juicy, juicy."
"My brother is going to capoeira!"
"My mom always helps me!"

This was in rapid-fire succession. They must've been holding it in all day. like me!

M-O-M is mom

Overhead, to himself, in writing:

"M-O-M is 'mom'! That's crazy. Crazy. And D-A-D is 'dad'! Crazy, see?"

Wait until he hears about "a man, a plan, a canal...panama."

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Small Moment Stories

First grade is all about the personal narrative. We teach "small moment" stories, where you stretch out in sometimes agonizing detail a particular part of your day.

One student started his day at the beginning, when he took a bath. And then he ran with it. By page two, he was getting out of the tub, putting on loshen, and greasing up in baby oil. "It's greasy." 

Love the detail. Maybe TMI.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Blin Blin

Woohoo spring break stories! I'm just grading the kids' homework packet and came across this journal entry:

"On Thursday my mom went to a store to by our spring close. My close had blin blin on it."

It's complete with a sketch labeled BlinBlin and blinblin.


Sunday, April 19, 2009

Bathroom Privileges for Grown Ups

Spring break is over. 

I tend to get preparation anxiety stress on Sundays, but this week it's worse than usual. Getting back to the grind, for teachers, means having to regulate your liquid intake in ways that you wouldn't expect. One of the major stressors involved in teaching is not being able to pee.

It's something you don't consider when you're a kid, squirming around and raising your hand, waiting to be allowed to use the bathroom. Teachers can't just go when we need to. Oof.

Teaching's not the only job like this, for sure. Bus drivers, I always thought, had it rough. Maybe they wear Depends? Maybe I should...

Monday, April 13, 2009

Like the Post Office

I nearly stepped on a blood-filled hypodermic needle on my way to work the other morning.

I called 311 to report it--I mean, little kids walk this route to and from school every day, and who knows what they like to pick up--and the fallout was a comedy of bureaucratic errors.

The first few people I talked to didn't know what to do with me, since my problem didn't have to do with alternate-side parking rules. So I got transferred to the Dirty Sidewalks Division.

At first, I protested. I mean, dirty sidewalks says to me, hey come with a broom and sweep up a bit. But picking up bloody needles, in my mind, requires sturdy gloves, antiviral medication, and a bio-hazard bin. Which got me thinking about the last time I 311-ed something in the area. That time, it was a bio-hazard bin, just sitting on the sidewalk. Then, the Dirty Sidewalks Division delivered. After initial protesting, they picked it up. I reconsidered and decided the Division could handle the needle.

Next came the "Now where is this needle?" conversation. Well, the needle was on a footbridge overpass, over one highway and below another. It's a secluded area, which explains the needle, and it creates quite the convenient shortcut for my commute. I tried to explain this. I confused my 311er so thoroughly that I had to get transferred again, this time to somebody near a computer. This person wanted cross streets. I explained it was an overpass, not a street. This didn't go over well.

"What street is it on?"
"It's not a street. It's an overpass footbridge."
"Then what street is it on?"
"It's not, but it's coming off of [street] and it goes over [street]."
"Those two don't intersect!"
"I know. That's why there's an overpass."
"But they don't intersect."
(Loop it a few times.)
"I need to pick up my students from the cafeteria."
"Ok. We'll work on it."

Next time I see a bio-hazard bin, I'm not going to report it. I'll keep it on hand, just in case.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

...hiatus...

Spring break! Be back next, next week.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Poetry Jam

So...slightly thrown together. I mean, what else are we supposed to do the day before spring break? You might recognize the punchline. 

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Overheard and Overseen

Overheard with student:
"When I read, I get hot."
"What kind of books are you reading?"
"Little Jack."


Overseen during a lesson at the rug:
Student pulls up his t-shirt, slaps his back, then licks his palm. He saw me looking at him and looked back, guiltily.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Bespectacled

I love kids in glasses. 

In the first grade, kids who need glasses typically wear them, which can't be said of the older set. Some of them, probably those with plain jane wire frame ones, will suffer through their myopia before wearing their 3rd and 4th eyes.

But in first grade, glasses are so in. We have a large number of bespectacled students this year. I'd like to think it's because I wear them and, being cool teacher, I have tons of influence. But their glasses are way cooler than mine. Mine are put together with a paperclip and scotch tape. At least I have company in that department because student M. is in the same boat. That makes me feel better (but maybe should make me feel worse?).

Thick framed hipster glasses are totally in. One kid has thick black ones, and she sits next to someone with thick red ones (which have that magical lens that turns into sunglasses). They sit across the table from someone who just got reading glasses. This is too cute. She puts them on when she reads, and they fall to the end of her nose so she ends up looking like a lady librarian. Those are maybe my favorite.


Sunday, April 5, 2009

Multimedia

                                                            An improbably long time.


                                                                    Story Pirates!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Best of Arts Week Finale...

...hands down goes to the kindergarten Flamenco group. 

serious music + 5 year olds boys in construction paper hats = almost as good as the story pirates

Update on Doc

Our performance art doc premiered this morning. It went over well. I am angry at the computer and am still trying to figure out how to youtube it.

Turns out 5th and 6th graders are much more into filming than editing. 

Poems Inspired By Arts Week

100% student written.

POEM 1:
"Hipop"

        a
hip hop is a
 Fun thing
    to do

I tried to
   do a
 spin on
my head


POEM 2:
          "Olay!"

the k-kid got mest up
            Olay!

    the little k-kid
    shook her hips
           Olay!

     "I'm happy"
           Olay!


POEM 3:
"untitled"

a
egg
cracks

I take the egg
to its mommy

crack
crack
crack

*snap snap snap*
 

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Best of Wednesday

Arts Week keeps 'em coming:
  • Student R. got stuck in his sweatshirt again today. But this time it was because he put it on backwards, which was particularly difficult considering it was a hoodie. He eventually got unstuck.
  • I don't know what happened during this morning's performance because I had a planning period. All I know is that the kids came back very sweaty.
  • My film crew started editing today. Hopefully it'll be up on youtube soon.
  • At 5, everyone returned to school for the Spring Art Gallery. It is always a great event. We serve juice and seltzer spritzers, mini weiners, and cheese. Some adult jazz musicians play in a band with some kid musicians. Student art is all over the walls with small white placards that read something like, "Self Portrait. First and Last Name, 2nd grade. Sharpie and Cray Pas on Paper."
  • One of my students and her older sister showed up wearing matching "Hi Hater" shirts.
  • The Dance Troupe performed. I particularly love the 3 boys in the group. 
  • I won a tote bag!
Bravo, arts week.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Best of Tuesday

Arts Week is just jam-packed with highlights:
  • We saw a Hip Hop dance group this morning. They were unbelievable. One dude spun on his head for an improbably long time. Also, they had a lady breakdancer. She's my hero.
  • During the dance part, one student of mine kept yelling, "You Michael Jackson! Michael Jackson! You Michael Jordan! Michael Jordan! You on fire, on fire, on fire!" 
  • We saw a very inspirational Bronx-based modern dance troupe
  • My 5th and 6th graders had their first day of filming. We followed the performance group to the subway station, where they were handing out free lollipops to "sweeten" everyone's day. The footage is a little Blair Witch, but it'll be the jam. These kids rock.
  • After school, the other first grade teachers and I had to make stuffed animal butterflies. Using a hot glue gun sounded better when I was a kid.
Tomorrow is the Spring Gallery showcase. Oo la la.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Best of Monday

Today couldn't have been more stimulating. Some highlights:

  • It was the first day of Arts Week. This means there was more art, more artists, and more organized chaos than usual.
  • The Striking Viking Story Pirates put on a show! They were fantastic. They did many 4-5 minute musical numbers written by kids. Dudes in drag and anthropomorphic animals.
  • Student R. got stuck in his sweatshirt. It was hilarious. All you could see was one eyeball looking out, kind of like a periscope. He laughed, I laughed. He got unstuck.
  • I had my first day of my "Film Crew" workshop. 2 fifth graders, 2 sixth graders, and I are making a documentary about a performance street art piece. We're feeling pretty good about it. Today we watched Improv Everywhere videos to get ideas. Tomorrow we're going to follow the performance crew to the subway station, where they'll be handing out lollipops. Sweet.
  • After school was over, the student hopper came by to sharpen pencils and play teacher. Awwwww.

Friday, March 27, 2009

omg, dance party friday

Today was the danciest day ever. 

It started off with dancing and singing in a circle, like most Friday mornings. One kid in the middle, everyone else on the edge. Today was a little subdued because my co-teacher and I decided to seriously crack down on behavior. No whispers, no dilly dallying. I had to warn one kid against doing "the worm." And we had our hopper, who hopped all around the circle, giggling. One kid just stood in the middle and stared at his arch nemesis in class. Neither danced. Little awk, little Wild West.

Then, fast forward past recess, the kids went to dance class.

Fast forward again to the ART PARADE! I scrambled around and found the box of musical instruments, so we banged on them and danced around the school and on the street. We passed a pretty stationary robot, a live-action visual artist, a Bronx-based dance troupe, and the lady dressed like a butterfly.  

Then, down to the cafeteria for an African dance troupe with djembe and everything. Great drumming, great dancing. They had an audience participation part, where 4 of my students went up and danced with them. I always love the kids who spend most of time out of sync, looking around at everyone else to see what to do. They're troopers.

Overheard in Kindergarten

"We're gonna walk by here, where there will be a woman dressed like a butterfly. We'll wave to her."

The kids were dressed as barnyard animals?

Can't wait for the parade.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Art Parade

Tomorrow is the kick-off to Art's Week. At some point, a boy trumpeter will sound the signal, and we'll file out of our classrooms with "I [heart] art!" flags. If I can find the music bin in time, we will also bang cymbals and glockenspiel-like instruments. 

There were rumors of a unicyclist and a large man on stilts. 

You'd have to be pretty square not to love it. And after all, as my former student D. once said, "You can't spell 'smart' without 'art'!"

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

... by the bell

We have a cowbell instead of a school bell, but it does the same job. At 3:00 every day, someone the cowbell rings and the kids bustle out with their backpacks. I walk the kids who are being picked up outside and have a few minutes outside to wait with them until their family members arrive.

I try to keep in teacher mode and prompt the kids to learn (sneakily getting them to sequence events or use adjectives), but it doesn't always work out that way. I'm too immature.

As a result of this loosey-goosey dismissal time, I have a few bets going with some students.
  • Student X and I made a deal that if he has a whole week with great behavior, I'll arm wrestle him. This is particularly notable due to cleanliness reasons.
  • I literally told student A today, "Ten bucks says I can beat you in a race." I mean it, too. She started it by saying grown-ups can't run.
  • Almost daily now, I challenge my kids to tie their shoes. It usually gets them to attempt it at least.
La, la, la "goodbye" song!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Portrait of the Hair Model as a Young Man

I have a student with fabulous hair. 

I've seen faux hawks come and go, but this guy's hair is permanently amazing. It's thick and curly and, if left to its own devices, sticks out straight from his head. 

It's an endless source of amusement for him. He pulls a curl as long as it will go and boings it back into place. If he has braids that day, he'll boing a curl out of the braid and see if he can braid it back. Very fascinating to watch.

So, I'm happy to report that his newest writing piece is about last year's "Wacky Hair Day." I wish I could reproduce the illustrations already. They mostly look like a small boy with a lion mane of hair, which is exactly how he described it. Apparently his mother blowed it out AND it started to rain, so I can just imagine how it looked in real life.

Let's keep our fingers crossed for a repeat this year.


Monday, March 23, 2009

Apple Juice Toasts

It was a Happy Monday in first grade. We had a publishing party.

Background info #1:
The kids finally finished writing their personal narratives, so we invited the sixth graders in for a party. The little ones paired up with the big ones. Topics included, among others, visiting the eye doctor and swimming in a hotel pool. The first graders had even included dialogue in their narratives.

Once the sixth graders left, we toasted the writers with apple juice and pretzels. 

I'm happy to report no spills and no tears. Only minimal untied shoelaces.

Tangent #1:
Anyone else remember "publishing" stories in first grade? I know I do. It involved a volunteer mom typing them up on a typewriter. I thought it was legit. So legit I decided to compose an original piece of music, "Birdie Oh Birdie Sing!" I had my mom xerox it a million times at her work. In my mind, that made me the next Mozart.

Yikes. I hope my students aren't as deluded as I was.


Saturday, March 21, 2009

Spa Castle Day

No school yesterday. For no reason, except the administration at my school knows everyone gets burnt out in March. Originally, they wanted to have a group trip to Spa Castle (is naked sitting in the Jade Sauna something ok to do with all your co-workers?) but that was too expensive.

No school --> no post. But! 

I found something in my pocket. I often find hair clips or stickers or something else confiscated from the kids. But I found my post-it pad that I always have at work so I can take notes on the students. 

This post-it reminded me of something great. On one kid's homework last week, he had to write a sentence using the word "each." He wrote:

"Each of us is a man and a wouman."

He's so forward-thinking.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Story Pirates

I was grading homework during theater class today, not paying too much attention, when the theater teacher made an announcement:

In two weeks, the Striking Viking Story Pirates are coming to my school. I'm already obsessed.

Seriously, check out these links. If I knew how to put them in the window of the blog, I would. But I don't, so you'll have to click. It's so worth it.

and

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What's a wig hat?

Early readers can be hilarious. I mean, remember "Hot at the Dam"?

So today I'm reading "The Haircut" with student M. Here's the gist:

Edwin, the kid, is so shaggy he looks like the dog. His parents decide to give him a haircut but they don't know what the hell they're doing. Edwin's hair is choppy and weird. He's nervous about going to school.

So instead of going to the barber to rectify the situation, Mom goes to the closet to get out her old "wig hat" which she apparently wore one winter as a child. The "wig hat" has fluffly blond hair sticking out from under a red beanie. As Edwin exclaims, "It almost looks like hair!" Edwin wears it with gusto, to the mall and riding bikes with friends. It's the perfect solution to the problem.

Guess what, Edwin: you look ridiculous. "Wig hats" in real life are called toupees, and you're not supposed to wear them.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Don't touch my privacy

One of my students refers to his "privacy" when talking about his parts. 

Can we make that a trend?

Definitely not holiday vests

Elementary schools in New York look funny. Most of them are colorfully decorated with kids' artwork everywhere, just like schools in most places. And they've all got cute kids with Hannah Montana backpacks.

But instead of wearing denim vests and broom skirts, the teaching staff is usually dressed in black. 

I guess it's not surprising, considering New Yorkers in general wear a lot of black. Why should elementary school teachers be any different? Some days I'll be wearing gray jeans, black boots, and a black sweater while my co-teacher is wearing a black dress, gray tights, and black boots. 

I mean, I'd like to think we look hip, but maybe we just seem ironic when we burst out into singing the "find your seat" song.

I visited another school today, in a black dress, where most everyone else had variations of black and gray on. The last class I visited was math in kindergarten. They were learning what a nickel is. Sure enough, the teacher topped us all: black shirt, black pants, black socks, black shoes. And this is even St. Patrick's Day. Not a button or vest in sight.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Another Question from Little Red

Breaking news: I was cleaning up and found another question for Little Red:

"What do I do when I am alone?"

Maybe a little personal...?

hippity hoppity

The same kid who gave me the pudding cup on Friday came in to sharpen pencils after school today. 

She can't get enough of school.

She hops in the door, giggling, asking where the pencils are. She gathers more than her small hands can carry, then realizes she has to go to the bathroom. She giggles out the door, making sure to get the bathroom pass even though school's been over for an hour.

She hops back in, sharpens pencils, and plays teacher with the pointer. This little one read almost everything in the room, standing on a chair to do so.

Hippity hoppity. She's great.

Friday, March 13, 2009

I don't get apples...

...but I get pudding cups!

Student S.H. snuck in two pudding cups today. One for me, one for the other teacher. She wanted to give us a gift.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Safety Zone!

Yesterday the kindergarten, first, and second grades at my school attended a performance of Little Red Riding Safely in the 'Hood.  Let me recap:

Stage lights go up on an unbelievably energetic adult dressed in funny pants. She tells us she is a storyteller. A voice comes from somewhere, and Little Red Riding Hood--played by an even more energetic adult--comes out of the storybook and wants to get a new story. Instead of being a bad role model of making dangerous choices, she wants to be in the Safety Zone. She teaches the kids how to avoid danger. 

There is even a song about being alert and not getting hurt.

In this version, the Big Bad Wolf is part pedophile, part internet scammer. Lil' Red teaches the kids how to stay off facebook, run in the opposite direction from creepy cars, and just say "no" to free balloons. She has lots of helpful ideas, including creating a code word with her mom. 

If there's an emergency and the mom can't pick up the kid or something, mom can send an alternate in her place. Kid gets to check if the alternate is for real by asking for the code word. A helpful tip, if you ask me.

Two of my favorite tidbits from the show:
1. Lil' Red loved audience participation, so she asked the students to help her come up with a code word. When she asked for a random color, one of my more precocious students yelled, "BURGUNDY!"

2. Lil' Red, Big Bad Wolf, and Storyteller told the kids at the end of the show that they could write to ask questions. When we got back to class, one of my students wrote:

"Where is your house. What is your code word." 
Future Big Bad? I hope not.

***

All in all, the actors did a great job. They have a tough gig. Two thumbs up.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Little Red Riding Safety

Safety episode on Little Red Riding Hood. More coming tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Forcing the Fun

In the past few weeks, we've gotten two new additions to class. As could be expected, things went slightly haywire. New personalities throw things out of whack.

To counteract this nuttiness, we needed to do some "community building." In first grade, community building involves singing and dancing in a circle, usually with one lucky kiddo in the middle.

I love it. From where I sit (in the teacher chair), it's adorable. There's nothing better than starting your day with kids singing and strutting their stuff. There's always a huge range of dancing talent. There's the kids who clearly go to dance parties on a regular basis. These kids have rhythm and variety. Then there's the kids who do mostly throw-back dances like the disco point. 

My favorite are the kids who just hop around gleefully, without any rhythm or coordination. I identify most with them. 

My second favorite group are the kids who, looking pained, stand awkwardly in the middle of the circle. They hate the spotlight, but they put up with it because they're good sports. And because, when you're a kid, you're always forced to do stuff you don't want to do. This is just another thing added to the list. 

How much did that suck...?

Monday, March 9, 2009

Maybe we should loosen up the bathroom policy.

Monday morning, not even recess yet, and we had another accident. Good thing he had extra pants.

Sigh...

If only they didn't abuse bathroom privileges like it was their job...

Meanwhile, we made bubbles in science. yay air!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Sew...I was just thinking...

Sewing with first graders is amazing. Sewing brings out the bizarre conversation in everyone, I think, and it's no different when they're small and can't thread the needle. 

Each year I've been teaching, I've done a sewing project with my class. We've made large-scale puppets and quilt squares. Last year's class was heavily male-dominated (in numbers and in personality), and one Friday afternoon I found myself sitting around a small table with a group of small boys in small chairs, sewing to make a large puppet of a doctor. 

Somehow the topic of God came up. There was a lot of debate. One kid thought God was a soul. Another thought God just hung out in the sky. An English-language-learner didn't know what the hell "god" was and kept asking. One thing they could mostly agree on: God knows how to spell. God can spell everything.

The other first grade teachers and I sat down with our new "artist-in-residence" last week, and I'm happy to report that once again, we'll be sewing in first grade. This time we'll make pillowy soft sculptures to show the life cycle of mealworms and butterflies. 


Adventures with the older set

On Wednesdays after the kids go home, the teachers at my school have staff meetings. Last Wednesday, after completing a physical challenge and doing representational printmaking, I got to plan a new project with a new set of kids: 5th and 6th graders. They're so old!

We're doing to make a documentary about another set of 5th and 6th graders. This other crowd will be doing some (hopefully public) performance art. Disaster or Magic in the making? 

I'll keep you updated.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

You'd think it's not all about bodily fluids...

But sometimes it is. 

Monday: Snow day! 
Tuesday: First grader M. comes towards me, horror-movie style, with vomit in his hands. It was right around reading time. Room smelled; M. didn't want to go home. Say what?
Wednesday: M. poops in his pants. Again, smell. Again, didn't want to go home. ?!
Thursday: Ran out of hand sanitizer. My guess: stolen by Mr. Sticky Fingers, our newest addition to class.
Friday: Happy 7th Birthday, first grader L.! No bodily fluid news, but crumbly cupcakes and spilled juice kind of count.

Happy weekend, me.