Classroom Antics

One fourth grade student has taken to pointing to me and saying, "Obama!" after greeting me. I look shocked and ask, "Obama? Me?!" He nods vigorously. I heartily disagree. I tell him I am "Shannon Teacher." He thinks about this quickly, then shouts, "No! Hilary! Hilary!" What???? I point to my skin. I tell him Hilary Clinton is not this skin color. He looks at me and laughs, then goes back to calling me Obama.

Ever since going on that field trip with the kindergarten kids, they openly greet me at lunch time. No, I should say more about this. Imagine you are standing in line at the cafeteria, picking up your tray and utensils, and moving down the line to receive the food that each lunch lady slaps onto your tray. You finally make it to the end of the line, eyeing the delicious (if not a bit strange/questionable) food in front of you, and anticipating tasting it all. At the end of the line, you turn away from the lunch ladies and head to your table...  ...but the room has suddenly changed to a red carpet event in California. There are paparazzi everywhere, and fans being held back by black rope. You seem to be the first star to arrive, and the crowd let's you know how excited they are to see you. They scream, "Hello!!!" as you walk down the aisle, and wave to you excitedly, trying to get your attention. You want to wave back, but you're still holding your lunch tray. So, you try instead to make eye contact with as many people as possible. You smile brightly and shout "Hello!" in a pleasant voice that makes the crowd go wild.  .... This is what it feels like to walk past the kindergartners at lunch nowadays.

My 6th grade student used the finger puppets I made to tell the class a crazy-long story about:
A homicidal cat doctor; an angry vampire monkey mother; twin brothers who got married and had a child; and a baby monkey who got a really bad runny nose and died, but was brought back to life by a bullet from the doctor's gun.
As scary as this was to hear (the other classmates pulled me close every time I tried to cover my ears in protest at the morbid story), I have to be a little proud of him for telling the entire story in English. 


'Til next time!


-Shirby