School Days

My students never end to crack me up. It gets really hard to fit everything in that I am expected to teach my kids, but I really try my best. I know my students love science, so I try to bring in something exciting during science time. We have been learning about matter and we studied solids, liquids, and gasses. On Friday, we learned about how to change matter into a different form. I brought in ice that had food coloring added to it. I took it out and showed them the ice and a frozen water bottle. My students were in awe by it. I had a students tell me, "Oh man Ms. Bair this is the greatest class ever and you are the best teacher. I love this class and I don't want to leave." Only in K/ 1st grade could you get kids who think you are the greatest person ever because you bring ice and then let them touch it.
At the same time, I have a student, Devin, who constantly asks if we can do REAL science. I thought we were doing REAL science all along. I explained the different things we have learned and how that was REAL science. I asked him what he wanted to learn about.
He said: You know stuff like time travel, changing people into different things, and pausing time.
I said: Devin I wish I could teach you those things but I really don't know how to do them myself.
I think he now thinks less of me.

At the last perfect attendance/ student of the month assembly, the principal brought prizes for a raffle. The students who get perfect attendance have a chance to win some prizes obviously bought at the dollar store. Devin saw the prizes and got really excited. There was a magic wand and he really wanted it. Later, after not winning, he came to me and said:
Devin: Ms. Bair, I did not win the prize.
Me: Oh, what prize.
Devin: The magic wand. It was my only way to finally be able to pause time. I don't think I will ever be able to do it.
Part of me feels like I have failed this child in someway, or he watches way too much T.V. and has really big expectations.

Some other funny moments:
Otha: Ms. Bair I have the Hook-ups again. (Hiccups)

I told them my favorite book is, "There is a Wocket in my Pocket" by Dr. Suess. It is not the most revered book in my class. They all want to borrow it and they treat it like it is gold. It is the funniest thing to watch.

Around Christmastime, Santa Claus (the sixth grade teacher) came to my classroom to bring presents to my students. I have a little girl who is Muslim and her parents asked that she be excluded from all Christmas/ Easter events (which is hard). So, Santa comes in randomly and I did not have enough time to send her out of the class. She has the biggest face and was mesmerized by him. After she comes to me, Ms. Bair he really is real. He really is real. I had to quietly explain that he was someone just pretending but she could not tell any of the students about him. I did not want her going home telling her family that he really is real. I was not sure if she was going to go along with not telling the other students. But, I remembered the key to getting a child to go along with you. DOUBLE PINKY PROMISE. That is right, I said will you double pinky promise that you won't tell any of the kids about this. She thought that was the greatest thing ever and she kept the promise.

Now this all might sound like a great job and it must be a ton of fun. Well, to tell you the truth the little bit of humor I do get out of it really helps me each day. These kids are not easy to engage and keep motivated to learn. Man, it is not easy but the good times really help those times of extreme exhaustion from saying the same thing all day.