Last year with all our snow days, we were not able to celebrate Valentine's Day, but this year as long as there is a break in the weather we shouldn't have a problem. Today the children have already started talking about Valentine's Day, so I make a small request, please do not buy me any candy. "Why?" Gwen asks.
"Well, you know I like to run, I want to start training to get ready to run some races when the weather warms up." I tell Gwen. I love running and realize that I want to get back into running shape I need to cut down on some of the sweets. The weekend after school started, I ran a half marathon and am hoping to possibly run a full marathon this year.
"You're going to run outside now?"
"No, it is too dark, but I'm hoping to workout inside, so I can be ready to run outside when the weather warms up."
"Well, I'm going to still buy you candy."
Margaret a little confused asks, "Why do you want to stop eating candy?"
So, I tell her, "It isn't good to consume candy when you run, because it can make you sick."
Gwen tells me, "Well, don't eat the candy on the days you run. And if you want to work out you should do Wii Fit. I once lost 15 pounds in 3 days."
"15 pounds???"
"Yeah, I was doing everything: balancing and yoga. It pretty much has everything."
Well, I'm positive Gwen didn't have 15 pounds to lose and the child has really thought this whole candy thing out of eating candy just not on the days I run.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
I am a toy
Today I was working on report cards, so I had a sub covering my class, while I printed report cards for the school. During the day I saw my students briefly as I was delivering report cards to teachers to check. Cronius seems to be very attached, so when I walked into the Spanish room while the children were having Spanish he immediately comes and hugs me and asks, "How much do you cost?"
"What do you mean, how much do I cost?"
"Well, I want to buy you and take you home."
"Hmm, I don't think you buy me, but I will see you tomorrow."
Once I was teacher, now I'm a toy that one of my students wants to buy.
"What do you mean, how much do I cost?"
"Well, I want to buy you and take you home."
"Hmm, I don't think you buy me, but I will see you tomorrow."
Once I was teacher, now I'm a toy that one of my students wants to buy.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Bieber Fever and Ms. J. is ages old
This week my class is reading, "The Case of Pablo's Nose." I get excited every time my class reads this particular story out of their text. It reminds me of my fourth grade year and my addiction to the Encyclopedia Brown series. I shared my excitement with the story to the children in the class and Cronius' response was, "Ms. J. you must have read the Encyclopedia Brown books ages ago." Again, I'm only 26, now I'm ages old. You have to love children though and devoted little students, because when Cronius made his comment, Celine yells back, "JERK!"
"Celine." I say quickly back.
"What Ms. J.? He was being mean to you. You are not ages old."
I thank Celine, but tell her that we can't yell out words like that in class.
Today I also gave the students a writing assignment. They had to pick one famous person they would like to make sculpture of and write why they selected this person. I got a very wide selection of people: Louis Armstrong, Johnny Depp, Michael Jackson, Selina Gomez, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington. Of course you can't leave out teen celebrity, Justin Bieber. While the children were trying to figure out who they were going to pick, one of the children was trying to remember that guy's name with the hair. I quickly recalled hearing on the radio Justin Bieber pays $18,000 for a haircut. I asked if they were talking about Justin Bieber. Raphael then asks, "You know who Justin Bieber is?"
"Yes."
"Do you find him attractive?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm not attracted to teenage boys."
"Oh, that make sense. Were you attracted to teenage boys like Justin Bieber when you were a teenager?"
Yikes, this is getting bad. Sorry to say that tomorrow I will be out of the classroom and will not have any funny stories to share. :(
"Celine." I say quickly back.
"What Ms. J.? He was being mean to you. You are not ages old."
I thank Celine, but tell her that we can't yell out words like that in class.
Today I also gave the students a writing assignment. They had to pick one famous person they would like to make sculpture of and write why they selected this person. I got a very wide selection of people: Louis Armstrong, Johnny Depp, Michael Jackson, Selina Gomez, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington. Of course you can't leave out teen celebrity, Justin Bieber. While the children were trying to figure out who they were going to pick, one of the children was trying to remember that guy's name with the hair. I quickly recalled hearing on the radio Justin Bieber pays $18,000 for a haircut. I asked if they were talking about Justin Bieber. Raphael then asks, "You know who Justin Bieber is?"
"Yes."
"Do you find him attractive?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm not attracted to teenage boys."
"Oh, that make sense. Were you attracted to teenage boys like Justin Bieber when you were a teenager?"
Yikes, this is getting bad. Sorry to say that tomorrow I will be out of the classroom and will not have any funny stories to share. :(
Saturday, January 22, 2011
4th Grade Stand Up Comedy
The weekend after Thanksgiving, the first Sunday of Advent, one of the priests at the church told a joke, which many Catholic adults have probably heard many times. A little boy wants a bike and instead asking Santa for the bike, he asks Jesus. Towards the end of the joke, the boy gets clever and locks up a statue of the Virgin Mary and writes "If you ever want to see your mother again, you will bring me a bike."
The joke is always amusing when you hear a priest tell it before giving his homily, but to my fourth grade class, it was the talk of the town. It was the start of what would be a very comedic year for them. After the joke about the bike, the children were coming into class ready to share jokes. I listened to the jokes, of course, but after the joke that started "Ms. J. there was a priest and rabbi that walked into a ...," I put a small end to jokes. Not really sure where that joke was going, but in my prior experience of jokes starting with a priest and a rabbi, none are usually appropriate for a fourth grader.
Last weekend, one of the members of our church was ordained a deacon and is now a new deacon for our church. The church is going to have a celebration for the new deacon this Sunday and the school children were asked to make cards for him. I told the children that we were going to make cards for our new deacon. They wanted to know who the new deacon was, so I told the children his name. At this point, Celine was starstruck and ready to fall out of her chair with the news. Our new deacon's wife works at our after school program, Celine enjoys going to the after care program and talking with the deacon's wife, so she was almost too excited for words.
The children began making cards and I had told the children that we should write how we will pray for our new deacon. Alexander, one of my top comedians in the class, comes to me while figuring out what he wants to write in his card and says, "Ms. J. do you remember the joke about the boy who wants a bike, so he locks up Mary and writes if you ever want to see your mother again, you will get me a bike."
"Yes, Alexander, I remember that joke."
"Well, wouldn't it be funny, if I wrote in my card, I'll start praying for you, when you start praying for me."
"Uhmmm"
"Do you get it? He has to start praying for me first. It's funny, right?"
"Yes, I get it, but I don't think our new deacon and the other people reading our cards will think of it as being funny."
Well, I didn't Alexander's joke to be appropriate for the deacon, but it was rather clever, so I thought I would share it on here.
The joke is always amusing when you hear a priest tell it before giving his homily, but to my fourth grade class, it was the talk of the town. It was the start of what would be a very comedic year for them. After the joke about the bike, the children were coming into class ready to share jokes. I listened to the jokes, of course, but after the joke that started "Ms. J. there was a priest and rabbi that walked into a ...," I put a small end to jokes. Not really sure where that joke was going, but in my prior experience of jokes starting with a priest and a rabbi, none are usually appropriate for a fourth grader.
Last weekend, one of the members of our church was ordained a deacon and is now a new deacon for our church. The church is going to have a celebration for the new deacon this Sunday and the school children were asked to make cards for him. I told the children that we were going to make cards for our new deacon. They wanted to know who the new deacon was, so I told the children his name. At this point, Celine was starstruck and ready to fall out of her chair with the news. Our new deacon's wife works at our after school program, Celine enjoys going to the after care program and talking with the deacon's wife, so she was almost too excited for words.
The children began making cards and I had told the children that we should write how we will pray for our new deacon. Alexander, one of my top comedians in the class, comes to me while figuring out what he wants to write in his card and says, "Ms. J. do you remember the joke about the boy who wants a bike, so he locks up Mary and writes if you ever want to see your mother again, you will get me a bike."
"Yes, Alexander, I remember that joke."
"Well, wouldn't it be funny, if I wrote in my card, I'll start praying for you, when you start praying for me."
"Uhmmm"
"Do you get it? He has to start praying for me first. It's funny, right?"
"Yes, I get it, but I don't think our new deacon and the other people reading our cards will think of it as being funny."
Well, I didn't Alexander's joke to be appropriate for the deacon, but it was rather clever, so I thought I would share it on here.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
What time is it?
Well the fourth grade class and I have hit that time of year where we are praying and hoping for snow. School gets a little crazy because we may be in class for a full week or just one day. So far, we have been in school two days this week, and tomorrow is up in the air. I would lay to say I'm secretly hoping for a 2 hour delay, but I'm not very secretive about that fact. Although, being a short week, this has been a hard week for getting up in the morning, these days off spoil me.
I guess it is time to get started with my funny story of the day. I really should try and do this every day. So, in my class I have this clock on the wall. You know the standard black analog clock you see in most classrooms. I was excited at the beginning of the year when I was given the clock because I used it to replace the old clock, which was promoting some odd brand of medication. It just didn't fit right in the classroom. Well, the black clock started off well, but then the battery died. I put in a new battery and after about a month, the battery died. I put in another new battery, by the next week the time was off. After replacing a number batteries I have decided, I just don't want to keep putting new batteries in the clock.
I have been fine with not having a big clock working in the classroom and have resorted to using my cell phone to keep track of time. This has also made me skilled at guessing the time, sometimes I can get the time correct down to the minute. My students on the other hand, you know how kids constantly want to know how long until lunch, are not enjoying not having the correct time on the classroom clock. Now, I constantly hear, "Ms. J. what time is it?" Jokingly I will sometimes say, "time for you to get a watch."
This little saying can get kind of catchy. I once had at least half the class say it to one of the repeat time askers. Today though Alexander wanted to know the time. Alexander likes to ask the time a lot, so he has heard "time for you to get a watch," a number of times. So, being the smart boy that he is, he decided to try a new approach. He walks to me and says, "Ms. J. I'm sorry I keep meaning to buy a watch when my family goes shopping, but I always forget, so can you tell me what time it is?" I laughed and told Alexander he does not to buy a watch. Maybe tomorrow I should try putting a new battery in the clock.
P.S. Agnes has found my blog and she knows her character name. :)
I guess it is time to get started with my funny story of the day. I really should try and do this every day. So, in my class I have this clock on the wall. You know the standard black analog clock you see in most classrooms. I was excited at the beginning of the year when I was given the clock because I used it to replace the old clock, which was promoting some odd brand of medication. It just didn't fit right in the classroom. Well, the black clock started off well, but then the battery died. I put in a new battery and after about a month, the battery died. I put in another new battery, by the next week the time was off. After replacing a number batteries I have decided, I just don't want to keep putting new batteries in the clock.
I have been fine with not having a big clock working in the classroom and have resorted to using my cell phone to keep track of time. This has also made me skilled at guessing the time, sometimes I can get the time correct down to the minute. My students on the other hand, you know how kids constantly want to know how long until lunch, are not enjoying not having the correct time on the classroom clock. Now, I constantly hear, "Ms. J. what time is it?" Jokingly I will sometimes say, "time for you to get a watch."
This little saying can get kind of catchy. I once had at least half the class say it to one of the repeat time askers. Today though Alexander wanted to know the time. Alexander likes to ask the time a lot, so he has heard "time for you to get a watch," a number of times. So, being the smart boy that he is, he decided to try a new approach. He walks to me and says, "Ms. J. I'm sorry I keep meaning to buy a watch when my family goes shopping, but I always forget, so can you tell me what time it is?" I laughed and told Alexander he does not to buy a watch. Maybe tomorrow I should try putting a new battery in the clock.
P.S. Agnes has found my blog and she knows her character name. :)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
What is that?
What can I say? Sometimes my students get some really interesting Christmas gifts and I may ask them to bring them to share, because I want to see what it is or what it looks like. For example last year, one of the girls got a doll that she said could breathe. Sure enough she had a baby doll that looked like a real baby breathing. In fact parents picking up their children at the end of the day thought it was a real baby.
This year the hot ticket Christmas item was a fushigi. Gwen wrote in a morning journal before Christmas about wanting one. I had no idea what it was, so I looked it up on youtube. When Gwen announced that she got one for Christmas, I asked her to bring it in. Secretly, I thought I could do all the things on the youtube video. Let me tell you, the people in the video are quite talented, I have not figured it out yet. When it was time for Spanish, Gwen lent me her fushigi ball to try and do the tricks that they did in the video. I carried it while walking with the kids to Spanish.
When we got to Spanish, Mrs. F. sees what is in my hands and asks what it was. Forgetting what it was called I turn towards Gwen and ask her what it was, she says, "A fushigi ball." The rest of the children yell, "it's a rip off."
Mrs. F. looks at the children, who continue to say, "it's a rip off."
Then one of the children says you are supposed to be able to roll it on your arm. Mrs. F. tries this.
What can I say? The people in the video made the fushigi ball look so simple to do tricks, my class is quite disappointed because they were hoping to be able to do the same tricks. Maybe in a couple weeks Gwen will have mastered the fushigi and give the other children a show, then they won't think it is a rip off.
This year the hot ticket Christmas item was a fushigi. Gwen wrote in a morning journal before Christmas about wanting one. I had no idea what it was, so I looked it up on youtube. When Gwen announced that she got one for Christmas, I asked her to bring it in. Secretly, I thought I could do all the things on the youtube video. Let me tell you, the people in the video are quite talented, I have not figured it out yet. When it was time for Spanish, Gwen lent me her fushigi ball to try and do the tricks that they did in the video. I carried it while walking with the kids to Spanish.
When we got to Spanish, Mrs. F. sees what is in my hands and asks what it was. Forgetting what it was called I turn towards Gwen and ask her what it was, she says, "A fushigi ball." The rest of the children yell, "it's a rip off."
Mrs. F. looks at the children, who continue to say, "it's a rip off."
Then one of the children says you are supposed to be able to roll it on your arm. Mrs. F. tries this.
What can I say? The people in the video made the fushigi ball look so simple to do tricks, my class is quite disappointed because they were hoping to be able to do the same tricks. Maybe in a couple weeks Gwen will have mastered the fushigi and give the other children a show, then they won't think it is a rip off.
Monday, January 3, 2011
School Nurse
My school secretary, God bless her, she does endless jobs in the office, one of them being caring for injured children that come in from out at recess. The 3rd and 5th grade teacher and I take turns watching the children outside with the school principal. If I am in the office and am not that busy during recess, I have helped out some if the office is busy getting the students ice packs and band-aids. I'll have you know, just in case you didn't, but ice packs are the new band-aids.
Today in comes two of my students while I'm in the office, Cronius and Agnes. Agnes was crying and Cronius being the caring boy he is, walks with Agnes into the office. I tell them to go to the back and Mrs. M will be with them soon. Mrs. M, then thanks Conius and sends him back outside to play. I leave the office and Cronius is still in the hallway.
"Cronius why are you not outside?" I ask.
"Well, I just wanted to ask you why you aren't playing school nurse today?"
I turn around, feeling bad for sending my students to the back of the office, when they obviously expected me to help care for them. I go in the back and cheer up Agnes and send her on her way with Cronius when she is done being bandaged up.
Today in comes two of my students while I'm in the office, Cronius and Agnes. Agnes was crying and Cronius being the caring boy he is, walks with Agnes into the office. I tell them to go to the back and Mrs. M will be with them soon. Mrs. M, then thanks Conius and sends him back outside to play. I leave the office and Cronius is still in the hallway.
"Cronius why are you not outside?" I ask.
"Well, I just wanted to ask you why you aren't playing school nurse today?"
I turn around, feeling bad for sending my students to the back of the office, when they obviously expected me to help care for them. I go in the back and cheer up Agnes and send her on her way with Cronius when she is done being bandaged up.
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