Picture Day Stripes and Polka Dots

This morning, I had a phonecall in my classroom at about 7:10. I picked up and found myself talking to the father of my ELL (English Language Learner) student. He has been doing really well, and has had almost no language barriers. He is so so sweet and adorable and so kind and works so hard. This is the first time I have seen a language misunderstanding. Anyway, here's the story. His father called and said, "The reason I am calling is because my son insists that he has to wear either stripes or polka dots today. Is this true?"

I immediately knew where this came from. Yesterday, during dismissal, I was explaining to the kids that tomorrow is picture day, and they do not have to wear their standard school attire, or uniform. A student said, "What's our uniform?" So I was explaining that their solid, collared shirts and khaki (etc.) bottoms are their uniforms. I said, "Tomorrow, you can wear strips, or polka dots, or anything you want!" He understood about picture day, and even told me that he was getting his hair cut for picture day. Well, he went home and told his parents that he could only wear stripes or polka dots for picture day. His dad said, "So, he doesn't have to wear stripes or polka dots?" I said, "No!"

He came in stripes. :-) Love that kid.

Oh LeChris...

So I have a little boy, who I so lovingly refer to as "Pipsqueek" - not to his face, of course. He is tiny. Recently, he has been sagging his pants with his little spiderman underpants hanging out. So yesterday, I said, "You have got to pull up your pants." And I checked to see if his belt could go tighter, but it couldn't. He said, "This is how LeChris wear his pants!" I said, "Who is LeChris?" He said, "LeChris?! He live with him mama." I said, "In your neighboorhood?" He said, "Yea!" Then his cousin (who is also in my class) came out of the bathroom. Pipsqueek said, "Tell her 'bout LeChris!" And she said, "LeChris! He live at our nanny house!" I said, "Is he your uncle?" She said, "No, he our cousin." And then I said, "How does LeChris wear his pants?" And she said, "He sag them LOWWW." So, that's that. LeChris does it. Must be cool, then. Anyway, I explained that even if LeChris does, he has to pull up his pants at school...

Then I worked with another student from that neighboorhood on changing her "I'm is," to "I am." She did not get it. "I'm is?" She asked. "No. I am," I corrected. "I'm am?" She changed. "No. I..." Then she repeated, "I" Then me - "am" her - "am." We practiced over and over. Don't think I'm going to break that all at once, but I've got to start. Especially since I know how my little sister (Shatorria, not Whitney or Gillian...) writes like she talks, and oh man, it's special. Justin will surely get enjoyment out of the card she wrote him for his soon to arrive care package... :-)

They're learning!!!

Here's the really cool thing about kindergarten. When you stop "teaching," they keep learning. Let me give you some "for instances." All week this week, we've been in literacy centers. When they finish the "must-do task" in the literacy center, they have a variety of games within their center to play with. For example, in the word study center, there are all sorts of letter games right now, since that is our focus. In the small muscle center, there are legos, some lacing tools, and some building toys. You get the idea. So, like I was saying, after they finish their must-do, they can choose one of these activities, as long as it's one from their center shelf. So here's the cool part. Today, kids in the writing center were practicing their letter sounds with a small set of letter/sound cards. Two days ago, in the word study center, the kids each had their own set of letters (one had lowercase sandpaper letters, one had uppercase sandpaper letters, one had big rubber mat letters, and one had foam shapes that create letters). Then, one at a time, one of them would hold up a letter and name it, and all the others would find the same letter from their set, and hold it up. I mean, they think of this stuff all by themselves!!! It was so cool to see. At this age, they just need the tools, and they create their own learning. I mean, it's so so cool. Talk about inquiry-based teaching. They just want to learn. So fun to see.

I came to the realization today that my class last year was really, really close to one another. I almost hope I didn't do them a disservice by our closeness. The reason I realized it today was because I passed one of my babies from last year, and he gave me a hug, then said sadly that the other student that is in his class this year from my class is absent today. There are only two of them in that class. He was so heartbroken. I said, "So you're the only All Star in your class today?" And he said with his saddest face, "Yes." Then I walked into the cafeteria, and there were 3 parents from my class last year, all spread out around the 1st grade tables, with their child. I was like, "Oh man! It's an All Star Parent Reunion!" They were all in agreement. Earlier in the week, I got an email from a student in first grade, about her birthday party. The email was to all of my kids from last year. She had asked for her party to be with her All Star friends, rather than her new friends from class. What can I say, we were a tight group.

I think we're going to be similar this year. I think I really just work hard to bring a sense of belonging and ownership to the classroom, through caring for the "things" in the room, as well as the people. Whenever someone gets their feelings hurt, I always ask the other person, "Did you make her feel happy?" And when they answer, "no," I always remind them that our goal is only to make people feel good, and that is it. So if what you did didn't do that, then you need to apologize to that person, and make sure you are only making people feel good, and filling everyone's bucket each day. One parent from last year told me at the start of this year, that she had a friend whose child is at another school, and they had some bullying problems, and was so surprised that we don't have any of that in my class. She said, "I just want to tell you how impressed I have been with the way you have enstilled such a sense of love in these kids, for one another." What a kind thing to say, and what a cool thing to teach 5-year-olds. If they can go through life with just that remembrance, that we should love each other, no matter what, I guess that might even be worth as much as reading levels. :-)

Diagnosis: SwineFlu-Cold-Strep-Pregnant

When I felt like I was going to throw up during centers yesterday, my assistant principal came down to watch my kids. When I came back, she asked if I might be pregnant. Thanks for that suggestion... Then, I talked to my neighbor, who suggested I have the cold she had last week. Then I spoke with my mom, who immediately jumped on the swine flu bandwagon, suggesting I immediately go get a mask so as to not infect Brenton. Then last night, I got an email from a coworker who suggested I might have strep, as that was going around.

While I appreciate all of those wonderful suggestions, I was not surprised when the Minute Clinic diagnosed that 5-year-olds' germs have gotten the best of me, and it is viral. I had to leave school early yesterday, much to my dismay, because I felt really sick. I burst into tears when I got into Brenton's car when he picked me up, because I was so upset to be leaving like that. I absolutely hate missing school, but here I am today, home again. I cannot stand it. However, I'll admit that it's good that I did, because I do have a fever today, so I'm glad I'm not at school, spreading it to my little babies.

I am so sad to not see them for 4 1/2 days. This weekend was a really fun experience last year, because when I explained to the kids that we had a 3 day weekend, they were really worried, "But who will be our teacher?" they asked. When I explained that it would still be me, just one extra day of weekend, "I'll miss you!" they all told me. And this year, I will miss that love before the long weekend.

Well, at least I won't be spreading H1N1 around town. I'll leave that to Whit's friend, Kelly.

Gang signs and stuff...

With our change in population this year, we have some other changes that apparently come along. For instance, for the second time yesterday, I had a gang sign thrown up at me from a five-year-old... So that's nice. When I spoke to the child about it, it was clear that he had no idea what it meant. He said he learned it from his little sister, and it means "hi." So he's seeing it done, but with no knowledge of what it actually is. Still a little much.

My crier has been crying slightly less, but still likes to inform me, "I'm done." or "No I don't want to do that." But I just ignore him and forge ahead. And when he tried to start the tears today, I just reminded him, "Oh no, remember, in kindergarten crying doesn't mean you don't have to do it. You'll have to anyway." Then I just ignored the fake tears and asked him what he wanted to write about today. Worked well.

So I was really impressed with one child who started last week, knowing all of her letters and almost all sounds. She was one that I thought would know nothing. Came to find out that she is on year two of kindergarten right now, and will be 7 years old in November. So that explains her knowledge. She has lots of paperwork in her cumulative review, and I'm really worried about a potentially bad home life, already from my experience, and justified with the paperwork from her two previous schools from last year. I've already given her 4 shirts, because she comes in the same jumper almost every day, with no shirt under it. We shall see. Tionna take two, anyone?

I started literacy centers yesterday, and they're going so well! The kids are loving them, not to mention doing really well with the independence of them, and I am so pleased! The centers are making the first letter of your name with clay (which they will paint in their next round of centers), writing your name in shaving cream on the table (practicing upper and lowercase letters), listening to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? on tape and making/ coloring your own, illustrating our poem we've been working on, creating the cover to the book they've been making, and making your name out of beans. So we're obviously working a lot on names right now. It's so fun to see how successful the centers are and how successful the kids feel!

Have I mentioned yet that I love my kids? Gosh I love my kids.