You say that a lot...

Apparently, I am very predictable in what I say or how I respond to the kiddies. Here are some examples:

"Miss L, can I ____________?" (insert something idiotic that they will never be able to do)

"Heck no. Now sit down, and do what I ask."

"You sure say that a lot. Heck no is like, your favorite phrase."


Or this one:
Student raises his hand while working. Attempts to say something, and kid next to him says:

"Alejandro, did you self monitor? Did you ask us if we knew how to do the problem, or did you just raise your hand? Take self initiative, you know Miss L will not answer your question unless you self-monitor."

My response: "Thanks, Irving. I'm going to go away now."

And then they ask the funniest questions:

"Miss L, do teachers EVER go to the bathroom?"
"What?"
"Well, I mean, you are ALWAYS in here, like, teaching us. Do teachers ever go to the bathroom?"
"We go when you are in other places. What do you think I do when you are in specials?"
"GROSS MISS L! You spend the WHOLE time in the bathroom?"
"No, you weirdo. But if I have to go, I'll go then."

Ahhhh, the children.

Funday Monday

Oh, what the kids say during class.

First of all - backstory. My kids think that this certain teacher, Mr. S, walks, looks, and acts like a duck. I swear, I did not tell them this, they noticed it completely on their own. (He would disagree, but whatever. This is my blog.)

So, today, during CNN Student News, they put up a "word to the wise" and the kids guess what the word means. Today - "Lame Duck." (meaning, a person or group of people who work in government between an election and an inauguration.)

One kid yells out, "Mr. S?" I laughed so hard I turned red.

Then, Mr. S decided to grace us with his presence during math class. They have a field day every day with them, but someone started quacking... I laughed so hard, I turned red. I had to look away, and Mr. S goes, "Don't kill yourself, Miss L." I don't think he quite enjoys my class of 30 students torturing him.

I find it kind of ironic. Or poetic justice. Yeah, more like poetic justice.

The content feeling you get at the end of the week...

Normally, I post funny things. But this one - it just tugs at my heartstrings.

As I walked out of the school on Friday, with my orange vest to go corral the children, I walked to the back with two of my adorable students.

G: "You're in pre-algebra, aren't you? You're lucky."
J: "You're lucky you get to do easy work. Pre-algebra with Miss L is hard."
G: "But the hard classes are going to get you into college."

I smiled with content.

How do you do it?

A conversation that happened today:

C: "Miss L, how do you do it?"
Me: "Do what?"
C: (very contemplatively) "Teach."
Me: "What do you mean, teach?"
C: "Well, if I had to teach me, I'd strangle me."
Me: "Excuse me?"
C: "But I haven't even broken you yet."
Me: "I guess I'm just special."