Reading Buddies
Every week we get together with our first grade buddies and my fourth graders read a story to them and help them with their reading comprehension. It's a different experience with every class, but this year seems to be a lot more teaching what it means to be a role model and how to act around little ones.
One day I noticed this one little first grader squirming around a little extra and when I walked over to investigate I noticed my fourth grader enjoying his book...but silently. I told him, "Bud, when your reading to your first grade buddy you have to make sure your reading out loud so he can hear you....can you do that for me?"...he nods his head in agreement. Silly kids
Not a couple weeks later the same fourth grader came up to me and and said, "Miss C my buddy is acting kind of wild and can't sit still..." "ok, well are you reading out loud, are you asking him questions to make sure he's engaged with the story?"...."yea....and he also keeps kissing my arm."....yikes, never had that problem.
Birthday Surprises
A month ago I celebrated my 25th birthday, not a huge deal, but to a fourth grader turning a whole year older is like winning the Lotto! Everyone wants to be your friend, people are ecstatic for you, everyone in the class has a huge grin on their faces, and there are always a few who are looking to benefit off of my gain. But to top all of this excitement off I'm the teacher....this is just all too exciting, and some kids don't know how to deal with it.
So I'm sitting there soaking in the magic of turning a whole year older, having a whole year more of wisdom, another opportunity of a year of adventure when one of my little guys comes up to me grabs my face between his dirty jelly stained hands and puckers up....WOAH! STOP!....I throw my hand up just before he tries to lay it on me when I say, "woah buddy, we don't kiss in fourth grade!"...
I quickly looked around to see if anyone else had just seen what had happened...there was only one other fourth grade boy who had his mouth hanging open in disbelief. I swiftly shrug the whole situation off like it wasn't a big deal at all.
Hot n' Cold
In an elementary student's eyes the nurse's office is like an "oasis". A place where they can escape the pressures of their peers, grades, dragon teachers, and the exhausting amount of work expected in 4th grade. So I have quite a few students who literally try hurting themselves just so they can go get an ice pack from their "oasis".
So one day I get back from lunch and one of my kiddos is extra fidgety (I mean he normally isn't a "still" child, but today was extra bad) and his pants were completely wet. By fourth grade "wet pants" aren't a normal problem...so I asked him, "what's going on bud?"
"I pulled a muscle and the nurse gave me some gel and now it's burning"
thinking to myself..gel?....burning?....oh gosh, poor kid
"Where is your pulled muscle?"
pointing in the general vicinity that I'm so not trained to deal with...
"Why are your pants all wet?" I asked
"well, it's burning and so I tried to cool it off by splashing water on it..." this is getting worse by the second.
"Ok well go to Tagalog class and we'll see if it gets better."
Not long after that I am in the office when I hear the pitter patter of dancing feet and when I look out I see little buddy...can't stand still, pain on his face, and trying to explain to our secretary what's wrong. Apparently it was too distracting and started shouting in class that it was burning him! The teacher, not knowing what to do, sent him to the office.
What are you supposed to do in fourth grade when your in utter pain and have no idea what to do?...escape to your oasis, the keeper of the oasis will know what to do.
The next day I asked him if he learned a lesson from the previous days experience...."yea.. I'm never using that gel again." I also reminded him that sometimes a little bit of discomfort is not worth a trip to the nurse's office.
...P.S he hasn't been back to the nurse's office since.
Every week we get together with our first grade buddies and my fourth graders read a story to them and help them with their reading comprehension. It's a different experience with every class, but this year seems to be a lot more teaching what it means to be a role model and how to act around little ones.
One day I noticed this one little first grader squirming around a little extra and when I walked over to investigate I noticed my fourth grader enjoying his book...but silently. I told him, "Bud, when your reading to your first grade buddy you have to make sure your reading out loud so he can hear you....can you do that for me?"...he nods his head in agreement. Silly kids
Not a couple weeks later the same fourth grader came up to me and and said, "Miss C my buddy is acting kind of wild and can't sit still..." "ok, well are you reading out loud, are you asking him questions to make sure he's engaged with the story?"...."yea....and he also keeps kissing my arm."....yikes, never had that problem.
Birthday Surprises
A month ago I celebrated my 25th birthday, not a huge deal, but to a fourth grader turning a whole year older is like winning the Lotto! Everyone wants to be your friend, people are ecstatic for you, everyone in the class has a huge grin on their faces, and there are always a few who are looking to benefit off of my gain. But to top all of this excitement off I'm the teacher....this is just all too exciting, and some kids don't know how to deal with it.
So I'm sitting there soaking in the magic of turning a whole year older, having a whole year more of wisdom, another opportunity of a year of adventure when one of my little guys comes up to me grabs my face between his dirty jelly stained hands and puckers up....WOAH! STOP!....I throw my hand up just before he tries to lay it on me when I say, "woah buddy, we don't kiss in fourth grade!"...
I quickly looked around to see if anyone else had just seen what had happened...there was only one other fourth grade boy who had his mouth hanging open in disbelief. I swiftly shrug the whole situation off like it wasn't a big deal at all.
Hot n' Cold
In an elementary student's eyes the nurse's office is like an "oasis". A place where they can escape the pressures of their peers, grades, dragon teachers, and the exhausting amount of work expected in 4th grade. So I have quite a few students who literally try hurting themselves just so they can go get an ice pack from their "oasis".
So one day I get back from lunch and one of my kiddos is extra fidgety (I mean he normally isn't a "still" child, but today was extra bad) and his pants were completely wet. By fourth grade "wet pants" aren't a normal problem...so I asked him, "what's going on bud?"
"I pulled a muscle and the nurse gave me some gel and now it's burning"
thinking to myself..gel?....burning?....oh gosh, poor kid
"Where is your pulled muscle?"
pointing in the general vicinity that I'm so not trained to deal with...
"Why are your pants all wet?" I asked
"well, it's burning and so I tried to cool it off by splashing water on it..." this is getting worse by the second.
"Ok well go to Tagalog class and we'll see if it gets better."
Not long after that I am in the office when I hear the pitter patter of dancing feet and when I look out I see little buddy...can't stand still, pain on his face, and trying to explain to our secretary what's wrong. Apparently it was too distracting and started shouting in class that it was burning him! The teacher, not knowing what to do, sent him to the office.
What are you supposed to do in fourth grade when your in utter pain and have no idea what to do?...escape to your oasis, the keeper of the oasis will know what to do.
The next day I asked him if he learned a lesson from the previous days experience...."yea.. I'm never using that gel again." I also reminded him that sometimes a little bit of discomfort is not worth a trip to the nurse's office.
...P.S he hasn't been back to the nurse's office since.
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| A bunch of crazies... |
