You know it's Report Card season when....

....you're so tired that you're already looking forward to the glorious Daylight Savings Time extra hour of sleep! (Nov 7th!)

Was there a full moon last night?

Honestly! I have no idea what happened over the weekend. Almost all of my classes returned to school today a little 'off'. Maybe the glorious 'honeymoon' phase of September is now over, or perhaps Halloween candy is already starting to be consumed. I don't know....but WOW, what a day!

I think I'm going to try for a 20 minute power nap to get me through the rest of the evening and the looming report cards!

Tomorrow is a new day and I'm hoping a little less of a nutty one!

To Blink or Not to Blink.....

I had the unique oppotunity of teaching a Kindergarten class last week (I've never taught the wee ones before). A class I was supposed to have was on a field trip, so I covered that teacher's class for the period - Kindergarten! They're so cute and small and sweet, the last thing I wanted to do was bring one to tears.

We were singing a song that involves moving, singing and suddenly freezing on the spot. I was explaining what a 'freeze pose' looks like - "Your body is still, you don't move a muscle, you don't even blink! (I explained).

We started the song, the kids moving around and singing while I was playing the piano. After I few rounds, I notice a little guy standing there in the middle of the room bawling. I didn't even know his name (it's the first time we had met) but I quickly asked him what was wrong.

Through sobbing tears, he says "I just want to blink!!" The poor little guy thought he wasn't allowed to even blink during the 'freeze' part of the song. I quickly apologized (realizing that my instructions were taken literally) and said he could blink as much as he wanted.

After teaching Intermediate students for years, I must remember to be VERY careful in my choice of words with the young ones.

Now allowed to blink, Billy was much happier and continued singing with us with his lubricated eyeballs! :)

Quote of the Day...

Grade 1: (during circle time today) "Mrs. M - you have a neck" (touches my neck). "I have a neck too!" (touches his own neck, while smiling at his revelation).

Excuse of the Day...

When talking with a colleague, she told me of a recent conversation she had with a parent of a very young student who has recently been kicking, punching and choking other students.

The parent's response: "My child has a 'strength gene'. He's stronger than he realizes - that's why he hurts others."

Priceless!

Germs, Germs, Germs...

Unfortunately "Pie in the Face Friday" (chocolate cream!) didn't keep the doctor away, as now I'm quite sick.

One of the 'job hazards' of teaching 17 different classes a week is the exposure to the lovely germs that walk through the door. Despite washing my hands after almost every class, I seem to get sick every six weeks or so.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day I will look for the silver lining and be thankful for a lovely day yesterday with my family, and a day to rest and recuperate today to overcome this cough.

Happy Thanksgiving (and take some vitamins!)

ATTENTION! (Also known as "The Case of the Mysterious Salute")

I'm not sure if there's a joke being played on me, or if I've all of a sudden turned into a scary dictator, but for some reason a few students (all boys, of different grades) have been standing at attention and saluting when I'm around.

Evidence:

Weird Salute #1: Yesterday, a cheeky Grade 2 boy saluted and yelled out "YES SIR!" after I gave the class instructions to tidy up. (Note: this did NOT go over well, and we hat a nice little chat after school).

Weird Salute #2: Also yesterday, when doing attendance in a different class, a Grade 3 boy stood up and saluted "Here" and sat back down.

Weird Salute #3: As I walked down the hall today, a grade 6 boy stopped what he was doing and stood at attention, hand in salute position at his temple.

Fact: None of these boys are friends, nor are they in the same grade.

Question: Is the salute the new "Hi" when encountering someone you know?

I'll keep you posted on this unsolved mystery.....

Quote of the Day....

A Grade 2 Billy returned to my room today, minutes after his class left, proclaiming he forgot his 'sushi'. He marched in the class, picked up his jacket from the shelf and left.

Apparently he refers to his coat as his 'sushi'. I met his teacher in the hall after school and she said he's been calling his jacket that all year!

Oh, the imagination!

A Pie in the Face a Day keeps the Doctor Away....

....or something like that, right?

This coming Friday, I will be receiving a pie-in-the-face and I'm really looking forward to it!

Our school (like many others) participated in the Terry Fox run last week. As an incentive to raise over $5000, some teachers volunteered to take students out for lunch, be made over for the day at the hands of a top-earner, bake kids their favourite cookies, be duct-taped to the wall and receive a pie in the face.

The students rose to the occasion and raised over $7000 for an amazing cause!! I will proudly accept my fate on Friday!

(I hope it's Lemon Meringue!)