As Heard in a Kindergarten Classroom, Part 3

During a sharing of the story of George Washington and the apple tree, I paused and asked my students, when we came to the word ‘hatchet’: “Does anyone know what a hatchet is?” One of my girls, ever eager to share, raised her hand, “Yes, a hatchet is like when a chick comes out of its egg.”

We all know when boys are told that they’re tough, or strong, or brave, or any other adjective along these lines, this will often inflate the ego greatly! I found this to be so true with my kindergarten boys and used it many times to stop tears from the get-go! One day, one of my boys tripped on the black top, and seeing his little face begin to tremble, I immediately went to his side and exclaimed, “My goodness! What a tough boy you are!” Upon which, the trembling lips stopped, he stood up, brushed himself off and obviously remembered it for awhile after because upon our reentry into the classroom after break, he looked at one of his friends, threw out his chest, and whispered to him, ‘Miss C. says I’m tough!”

While playing an instrumental song for my students while they worked, one student, so full of unbridled  emotion, burst out, “Miss C., this song just makes me want to hug my little sister SO badly!”

During carpet time one day after I’d reorganized carpet spots for classroom management purposes, one of my boys raises his hand and out of nowhere says to me with a surprised look on his face, “Gosh, Miss C., this actually feels even better sitting next to this girl than Dan! And Dan is even my best friend! Weird, huh?”

One of the 4th grade students asked me one day if he could go on the other side of the fence around the school yard to get a ball. I told him he’d better ask his teacher, upon which he assures me, “I’ll be okay, Miss C. Really. I know karate anyway.”