As heard in a Kindergarten classroom, part 8

princess (Photo credit: hudsonthego)

One of my students enlisted me one recess to be her “scribe.” “Sit down, and write what I say.” I pretended to pull out a scroll, as the girl gazed off in the distance, pondering the correct wording for the message to her mother. Obviously having been enlightened, she turned to me, pointed a finger at the pretend scroll, motioning for me to write, and said, “Dear Mother,” she began,

How to make your mark at a new school

playground equipment–untattooed (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we moved, I enrolled my children at a private school known for its rigorous academics and discipline. I was eager for them to make a good impression, but when my mother called after their first week to inquire how my children were doing, I said, “Oh, you mean the cheat, the forger, and the vandal?”

I got a call from the principal or a teacher nearly every day that week. First was

As heard in a Kindergarten classroom, part 6

Talking to one of the 3rd graders one day, I asked him how his year was going. He said to me, “Oh, it’s going okay. I’ll be really glad when we’re done with fractions, though.” I nodded understandingly, “Tough, huh?” Without missing a beat he said, “Well, not exactly, but they make my parents fight.”

A fellow teacher’s student mentioned something about his mom going to the salon to get her hair cut. Another student replied, “Oh wow! That’s funny. My mom actually goes to the salon to get hair put on.”

Show some respect for authority.

When I was homeschooling my oldest son, his little brother, too young for school, came to the table and asked what we were doing. When we told him, he said, “Can I come too?”  I said sure. He sat down and then said, “What do I do now, teacher?”  His older brother, who was busy with his own work, corrected him saying,

Learning by example

Only a short while after arriving in a new town, I was talking outside my children’s new school with some of the other moms after we’d dropped off our children. It was all very pleasant, and I felt quite comfortable with these women. Then, my pre-school age son walked right up to me and

How to know when your child isn’t paying attention

You ask a question like this:

“What were the books in Ashurbanipal’s library made from?” [Ashurbanipal was an Assyrian king. (I’d never heard of him either.)]

And your child answers:

As heard in a Kindergarten classroom, part 4

I was pulling wet wipes out of the container and the wipes had kinda balled up at the bottom. One of my boys seeing me struggling, says, “Kinda hard, Miss C, huh? Just about as hard as pulling a thorn out of a dinosaur.”

Facing danger, head on

When I was still a school secretary, my assistant, also named Betsy, and the athletic director, Tim, had lots of fun together. Perhaps too much fun. One day Tim found a squirt bottle.

Love is color blind

When my son was in first grade, he fell deeply in love with his African American teacher. One day, he worked up the courage to ask her, “Will you marry me?”

She responded, “No.”

He then asked, “Is it because of your color?”

How do teachers grade papers with a straight face?

My parents uncovered a test I took in, I think, 3rd grade. Here are my stellar answers to the two essay questions:

16. Name two animals that are endangered. Explain how they became endangered. Tell what you would do to keep them safe.