Is that

It was nearing the end of the year. The children were hot and tired. One boy came up to my desk and said, "It's ok if you don't like my writing today."

I looked down at his paper and saw that he had barely written anything. I said, "Honey, you should never be happy with medeocre."

His eyebrows came together and he asked, "Is that the pudding old people eat?"

That way

At Kindergarten orientation night I noticed one little boy dancing and holding himself. I walked him to the bathroom and explained, "The first one is for girls, but this next one is the boy's bathroom."

He looked up at me and said, "I'm a boy because I have a penis."

I said, "Ok, then go in the boy's room."

He continued on in a confidential manner, "My mom doesn't know why. She said I was just born that way."

Life cycles

Yesterday a little girl in my class raised her hand and said, "I know the life cycle of a caterpillar."

I said, "That's wonderful! What is it?"

She said, "The egg turns into a caterpillar. The caterpillar becomes a raccoon. Then it turns into a butterfly."

I said, "Oh, honey, I think you mean cacoon."

She stuck a hand on one hip and set me straight, "My mother said raccoon."

Thank you

When we returned to our classroom after helping the first graders, one of my students raised his hand and said, "Thank you for giving me a new friend today."

I got all misty when he said it...so did the first grade teacher when I brought him over so he could share his comment with her.

How am I doing?

When we heard that first grade wanted to write letters to the Leprechaun my class offered to buddy up with them to share what we knew about Leprechauns. I explained to my students that they were there to help the first graders.

After about fifteen minutes one of my boys raised his hand, "This is the first time I've been a teacher. How am I doing?"

Leprechauns

The week before St. Patrick's Day, my class wrote letters to the Leprechaun and asked him to visit our classroom. We made "traps" that looked like green presents in hope that one of us would catch him and get his gold.

One little boy must have had a flashback to our Gingerbread man adventure because he asked, "If we catch him, we aren't going to eat him, are we?"

Teacher hugs

I stand at my door in the morning and greet each student as they enter. Many of them give me a hug as they enter the class. Students I had in my class years ago sometimes come by and start their day with quick hug.

Last year a first year teacher came over to my door and said - You certainly hug everyone.

I thought she was referring to the new "don't touch anyone" rules in the schools. - I don't ask any of them to hug me. I'm just not about to tell them they cannot hug me.

She seemed to think about this. - I've never seen anyone hug so many people.

Now I was feeling a bit defensive. - Does it bother you?

She sighed sadly, - No, some days I wish I could get in line.


The first year is tramatic for many. I hugged her.

Never underestimate the impact of being a caring person first and a teacher second.