Blubbering...

I already know it....I will be a complete mess on the last day of school! On the drive to school yesterday, I was thinking about the few boys whose last day was actually yesterday. Out of nowhere, I started crying about it! They were such amazing students - academically, creatively, socially, etc. It was hard thinking that I wouldn't be seeing them everyday in class. So if I got like that from just 4 students, it's not going to a pretty sight when they all just leave.

Seeing stars

Once again, things that normally would not happen to anyone decides to fall upon me.

I was in a store picking up universal sand to use for a lab. As I was walking towards the shelving, I walked passed the employees entrance door. The guy behind it must have whacked the door open real hard because the next thing I know, the edge of the door has smacked me right in the forehead. I fall to the ground and am dizzy for a few minutes as tears just come pouring out uncontrollably.

I'm still trying to figure out what happened and wouldn't you know it, he starts to yell at me saying that I was standing too close to the door. I look at him in disbelief and tell him that I was hit by him so he had no right to be yelling at me. Not to mention the fact that had I really been standing too close to the door, then the edge wouldn't have hit me in the forehead, instead it would've just smashed my face.

Luckily, it was only swollen for a day. However, it still stings when I put pressure on it. I swear, I don't know how I have this kind of luck. If only I'd hit the lottery with these kinds of odds.

A good laugh

There are so many reasons why I love kids! But I have to say that the best part is the funny things they do and say without even realizing it.

One of my boys has been obsessed since the first day of school with why I wasn't married yet. He liked to ask me on a weekly basis until one day I told him, "What if I just don't want to get married?" He was so shocked and could not figure out why anyone would ever feel that way. Since we're done with the poetry unit, I've been teaching them to do How-To Helpers. In order to challenge my advanced students, I've offered them more out-of-the-box topics. Like, how to get your parents to say yes more, how to be a peacemaker, how to turn your sofa into a spaceship, etc.

Well, that same marriage-obsessed boy tells me that he'll be making one in honor of me. Minutes later, he shows me his finished work. It's entitled: "How to Get Someone to Love You." As he hands it to me, he tells me that this will help me get married. Uhm gee, thanks? His How-To is more for the guys though. It lists:

1) Boy must shower and dress very nicely.
2) Go and buy a nice bouquet of flowers and go to her house.
3) Ring the doorbell and politely ask her to go to dinner.
4) If she says yes, she will love you and then you will be married.

Oh yes, if that were the case....too funny! Another student overheard our conversation and decides she wants to work on a similar topic. She entitles hers: "How to Make Love." I nearly fell to the ground! I know that's not what she meant but it was just too funny. Luckily, she scrapped the idea and decided to go with teaching someone how to torture their sisters.

As if that wasn't amusing enough of a day for me! They were in their centers in the afternoon and a group was working with magnetic letters and forming them on baking sheets. One of the pairs wanted to use the dictionary (keep in mind the dictionary is from the school, not one I purchased) to make more challenging words. One of the girls asks me, "Do you know this word? Ejigulate? Eeejagulate?" Oh my god. I knew she wasn't pronouncing it right and I was thinking there was no way she was trying to say what I thought she was saying. So I got up and walked over and looked at the baking pan....there in multi-colored magnets spelled...EJACULATE. They proceeded to tell me the definition and thankfully the dictionary only said it was to exclaim. They then used the word in a sentence by saying, "Oh, he ejaculated when he screamed!" I have to give her credit for using the definition correctly. I just hope they don't use the word at home because I'm sure their parents know the only definition that I knew of.

Never a dull moment!

Like butter in a pan

I will admit, I have been spoiled by my school and classroom. We are very fortunate to have A/C....but it did not work at all yesterday! It was so humid and hot, everyone was just panting and miserable. I taught all day with the lights off and refused to turn on any projectors. Everyone was sweating and soaking wet, clothes were sticking to every part of your body, and it was just gross. I know a lot of schools had early closings but we had the full day. But luckily, they decided to make today a half-day! Hopefully it'll drop back down to the 80s. I'm a bit nervous about field day on Friday and having to be outside the entire time...even my kids are worried for my sake because they know how easily I get hot.

I still can't believe that we're in June and the school year is almost over! To everyone's disbelief, I have not taken one day off ever - bad weather or being sick as a dog, I have marched right in. Unfortunately, I was misinformed and I do lose any personal days that I don't use. I've been advised to just use them now but it's so late in the year and I do want to spend the last few days with my kids.

My students made me so extremely proud last week. They have been doing an amazing job with my poetry unit. Everyday, their poems can bring instant laughter or tears to me. They are so amazing with their words and creativity. I love the look on their faces when they bring their work for conferencing and they just watch me for my eyes to light up or to tear up. They have written such moving pieces for their mothers and even for me. I wanted them to have a chance to show off their poems so I arranged for a huge celebration. In a nutshell, the whole week coordinating with all the mishaps had me running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But in the end, we did have the cafeteria to ourselves, 20+ adults, and a microphone for them to use. They really outdid themselves. I could barely keep myself from tears when I was introducing them and letting the parents know how proud I've been of them. All the parents were floored by all of their work and even the literacy coach couldn't stop raving about it.

Since we still had some extra time after everyone shared 2 poems, we had a few extra volunteers that read more while everyone else ate. They of course decided to share our class poems. Now let me explain about our "class-created anythings". I am very open to what they can write about....to me, as long as they're applying the strategies and it's not about violence or inappropriateness, it's a free for all. For some reason, my class has an infatuation with mold, vomit, and poo. As a class, they wanted us to create a poem about a dirty shirt. Somehow this led to mold and they really were able to come up with some creative descriptions. Of course, as we're in the middle of this, the assistant principal walks in. He must have thought I was nuts. Luckily, the parents were laughing and were just thrilled to see their children excited and enjoying themselves.

Now as it's getting closer to the end of the year, my little sweet-talkers are at it full force. In the beginning of the year, they all told me how they wanted to stay back in 2nd grade so that I could teach them again. Apparently they now want to petition to the principal to make me a 3rd grade teacher. Just the other day as we're waiting to go inside the library, my dino-obsessed student asks me: "Do you know what I like more than dinosaurs?? You as my 3rd grade teacher!" I swear, they really know how to get to me. I'm probably going to be a complete mess on the last day.

All I need to do is get through finishing the curriculum and end of year tests, and then we can just have some relaxing fun days. Luckily, I've paced myself well this year and have kept myself ahead so they should have plenty of fun time!