I have had many different experiences with children throughout my life, so naturally I know that they say silly things CONSTANTLY. Most kids have little to no filter and say whatever pops into their little minds (which as a teacher drives me absolutely INSANE...) Most of the time it is a question or a comment that has nothing to do with whatever we happen to be focusing on in that moment so I mostly find it ridiculous or interruptive, but there are definitely occasions where it takes a great deal of effort not to burst out laughing.
I have decided to keep a notebook page at the back of my gradebook/seating chart binder to write down some of the more hilarious and noteworthy comments.
I am well aware of the fact that I have a very confusing name, especially for younger kids. Firslty there is the fact that I have two last names. Secondly there is the fact that I have two last names and I am not married. And lastly, one of my last names is somewhat hard to sound out for young kids as it is not spelled phonetically. My last name poses many problems and therefore when I started teaching at the beginning of this year I simply told all the kids that they can call me "Ms. B-H". I am still CONSTANTLY being called by the wrong name several months into the school year... Oh well!
On a daily basis I get "Mrs. B-H, Mrs. B-H"!!!! For whatever reason kids don't understand the concept that you are only a "Mrs." if you are married. I don't even correct them anymore...
Another name that I get often is "Mrs. Beach". The two letters of my last name slurred together. I kinda like it though. It's a new one to me!
More often than not though, I end up just getting "Uhhhhhhhh...... Teacher?" Many of the younger kids are still figuring out what my name is. I cut them slack because I definitely don't have all of their names down yet, although I am MUCH closer than I thought I would be at this point in the school year.
One of my all time favorite quotes from the school year thus far came from a first grade boy. The first grade boys have gotten in the habit of telling me that they think I am pretty every chance they get, and then they all proceed to look at each other and giggle. I'm still trying to decide whether they actually want to pay me a compliment, or if they are just trying to earn some brownie points.
In one of my first grade classrooms I have a little girl that absolutely REFUSES to do anything. She will not sing, she will not talk, she won't play instruments and she will not even look at me and talk to me. It is the weirdest thing because she will talk to me in the hallways or in the lunchroom, but the minute she steps into my classroom she freezes. It is also strange because when I am not looking directly at her she participates. I see her singing along with the whole class out of the corner of my eye, but as soon as I look right at her she stops. Her teacher and I have been working extensively with her to try to get her past this fear that she has of me and my classroom, with no luck.
The whole class has caught on to her fear and encourages her constantly to participate with them. One day I asked her if she thought I was a scary person. Of course, she refused to answer me so I posed the question to the whole class. I said "Do you guys think I'm scary? Am I a mean scary teacher?" They all shook their heads and said "noooooooo!"
This is where my new all-time favorite quote took place...
One little boy looked right at me and very seriously said:
"Ms. B-H, you are about as scary as a princess!"
I LOVE IT!!!! So cute :)
All of the rest of the little boys then proceeded to tell me that I look like a princess, which made me feel pretty good about myself for the rest of the day.
I'll keep writing down all of those cute things that kids say to me and be sure to note any future cute moments in future blogs.
Thanks for reading!
