I Hope She Isn't the Kind that Eats People!!!

The Triumph:  It was overall a successful day today!  We got everything done that I had planned, which included several new games and manipulatives throughout the day.  Plus I taught one of the boys the word 'obliterate' and it's meaning!  He was having a grand time making really great battle sounds and pretending that stuff was blowing up and I told him a fancy word for blowing stuff to pieces was obliterate!  He loved it!

The Struggle:  I had a little chat with my darling friend today, who I often have power struggles with.  He had stolen some SillyBands out of another boys backpack, so he was sitting in the Cheetahs, waiting for me.  We talked about what he did, why it was wrong, etc.  He was clearly upset, and then said to me "I'm a bad person."  That put tears in my eyes.  It is so upsetting to hear a kid so young saying something like that about himself, and I'm sure it is the same type of language that he hears at home.  I told him to look me in the eyes and told him that he is a good person, a good kid, but has just been making choices that aren't good.  We talked some more and he told him that he wanted to be good and then came up with some ways that he could be good and could make good choices.  And then he followed through with what he said.

The Ludicrousness:  I overheard two boys talking today, after I told them that the woman standing behind them was my mom.  "WHOA!"  "I hope she's not a witch"  "I hope she isn't the kind that eats people!"

The other two quotes happened after the above student returned from the principal's office.  We were all seated on a letter on our alphabet carpet and I said to the student "Have a seat on the carpet.  Sit on the "U" that would be a perfect spot for you!"  He looks at me and says, "My name doesn't start with 'U'!!!"  

I'm glad he is learning his letters! :)

And a few minutes after the "U" comment, he heard some words that weren't nice and said "I'm going to go tell the prince!"  And another boy says "Who is the prince?! What prince?!"  

Princ-ipal!!

Read, Read, Read!!!

The Triumph:  One of my little English Language learner guys, who came into the school year knowing only 1or 2 numbers and zero letters asked if he could read me a book today!  It was "David Goes to School" by David Shannon, and this boy did memorize what happened on each page, but it was so wonderful to hear him excited about reading and excited about sharing with me!  He has really come far since the beginning of the year!

The Struggle:  Still having those conversations with certain children, who should know better, about appropriate behavior for school.  It is agitating, and I feel like I am always having the same conversations with the same kids.  I have to find a way to get through to them, and am not looking forward to the repeated conversations that I will have tomorrow for those problem behaviors.

The Ludicrousness:  Listening to Kinders read!!  I was listening to one boy read today.  I had asked him to be sure to look at all of the words on the page and try to match the sounds that went with the letters he was seeing.  At one point he read a few words in the sentence wrong, looked up at me and said "Well that just doesn't even make sense!"  I told him, "Well, you're right, it doesn't make sense!  What can you change so that it will make sense?"