I went on a field trip today with my summer students to Como Zoo, and we spent a long time on the bus. After work, I visited with some of my school-year students. I heard some very interesting things today.
"Teacher! Look at all those people laying down!" (He was pointing out the bus at a cemetery.)
"You're a teacher, but even when you aren't at school you are being good!"
"I saw you first, right? I saw you first so I win, right?"
"How long did it take you to walk here?" (As they greeted me at my car door)
"I didn't recognize you at first because you looked old and blonde. Why did you look old and blonde?"
I have no idea why I looked old and blonde as I am neither old, nor anywhere close to blonde, but that's alright.
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Knowledge is the Tickle Monster
Today with some third graders I was reading "What About Me" by Ed Young out of our Scott Foresman curriculum books. The story is about a boy who wants knowledge, so he goes to the wise man. The wise man tells the boy he cannot impart knowledge to him until he gets a rug. So the boy goes to buy a rug, but the rug maker needs thread, and the boy goes off to get some thread. Unfortunately for him, the spinner needs goat hairs to make the thread, so off the boy goes to the goatherd, who is kind of a jerk, quite frankly, and won't give the boy any goat hairs until he has a wooden pen for his goats. Then the boy goes to a carpenter who won't build the pen unless he gets a wife because he is lonely and the women in town "won't have" him.
To be honest, maybe the carpenter is unmarried and undesirable to women because he is kind of creepy and inappropriate. A child comes up to him and asks him to build a wooden pen, and the man replies that he will only if the boy can get him woman. That is no way to do business with children!
But anyway, I'm sure you can see how the story progresses without me retelling the entire thing. Now I am going to spoil the ending though, so if you're planning on running out and buying this book to read, please stop now. The boy eventually gets his rug and shows up to the wise man's place, demanding his knowledge. The wise man is all wise and annoying, telling the boy that he has already gained more knowledge than the man could ever give him just by sitting down and lecturing.
While I can't quote it exactly since the book isn't in front of me, I'll tell you that the moral of the story was two fold:
1. Sometimes it is better to give than to receive.
2. Knowledge comes to you when you least expect it.
Explaining the first moral to third graders was not difficult, since they've been hearing it year in and year out for about 9 years of their lives. The second moral was trickier.
The third grade teacher and I were trying to use student friendly language and analogies that were meaningful to our students without "dumbing down" the content. As we watched the blank looks on the 32 kids' faces become even blanker, we began squishing up our faces, trying desperately to come up with new ways to explain it.
All of a sudden, one boy sits bolt up right. His face lights up and he exclaims, "Oh! I get it!" The teacher and I are on the edge of our seats, "Yes, go on!" she says.
"Sometimes, my grandpa turns into the tickle monster. Usually, he is just Grandpa, but sometimes he becomes a tickle monster and chases me and my sister around and tickles us until we can't laugh anymore. My grandpa always says that the tickle monster will get you when you least expect it!"
There you have it, friends. Knowledge is like the tickle monster. In fact, who is to say that knowledge and tickle monsters are not synonymous. They do both, as it seems, come to you when you least expect it.
To be honest, maybe the carpenter is unmarried and undesirable to women because he is kind of creepy and inappropriate. A child comes up to him and asks him to build a wooden pen, and the man replies that he will only if the boy can get him woman. That is no way to do business with children!
But anyway, I'm sure you can see how the story progresses without me retelling the entire thing. Now I am going to spoil the ending though, so if you're planning on running out and buying this book to read, please stop now. The boy eventually gets his rug and shows up to the wise man's place, demanding his knowledge. The wise man is all wise and annoying, telling the boy that he has already gained more knowledge than the man could ever give him just by sitting down and lecturing.
While I can't quote it exactly since the book isn't in front of me, I'll tell you that the moral of the story was two fold:
1. Sometimes it is better to give than to receive.
2. Knowledge comes to you when you least expect it.
Explaining the first moral to third graders was not difficult, since they've been hearing it year in and year out for about 9 years of their lives. The second moral was trickier.
The third grade teacher and I were trying to use student friendly language and analogies that were meaningful to our students without "dumbing down" the content. As we watched the blank looks on the 32 kids' faces become even blanker, we began squishing up our faces, trying desperately to come up with new ways to explain it.
All of a sudden, one boy sits bolt up right. His face lights up and he exclaims, "Oh! I get it!" The teacher and I are on the edge of our seats, "Yes, go on!" she says.
"Sometimes, my grandpa turns into the tickle monster. Usually, he is just Grandpa, but sometimes he becomes a tickle monster and chases me and my sister around and tickles us until we can't laugh anymore. My grandpa always says that the tickle monster will get you when you least expect it!"
There you have it, friends. Knowledge is like the tickle monster. In fact, who is to say that knowledge and tickle monsters are not synonymous. They do both, as it seems, come to you when you least expect it.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
How old are you?
My younger (but much taller) brother came to visit me in Rochester, and he volunteered in my classroom for a little over one day. In that time, he had many interesting encounters.
The first question every student asked him was about his age. What is it about elementary students being obsessed with age? Many of my students repeatedly ask me how old I am. Instead of telling them how old I am, I give them the month and year of my birth and tell them they can figure it out. I figure the math practice is good for them. Unfortunately, most of my students are incapable of 4 digit subtraction, and those that are are incapable of setting up the problem to begin with. A few of my students have successfully done the math (one third grader even did it in his head!), but the other students, for whatever reason, refuse to listen to them. Kids are funny.
One 1st grade boy wanted to know if Max had a bike. When he said he didn't, this boy immediately assumed it was because Max broke it, and he spent the next twenty minutes being really distracted and repeatedly asking Max why on earth he broke his bike?
While Max was reading the oh-so-exciting story "Dim Sum for Everyone" to a group of 1st graders, one student raised her hand and asked Max why some people have blue eyes. I'm not sure what made her think of that question - perhaps it is because my brother has very blue eyes? Max, after a confused look and a quick snicker, told this student he wasn't going to answer that question right then. I pointed out to her that it had nothing to do with the story, and she kind of dropped it. Later, Max told me he kind of wanted to explain the whole science behind blue eyes. I am glad he didn't.
One student reacted particularly strongly to Max. This 4th grader hid from Max at first, then began rapid firing questions such as "Are you a monster?", "Are you from outer space?", and "Are you evil?" When Max humored him and answered these questions, this student warmed up to him. He asked Max if he had facial hair (which he obviously did), and then began describing, with gestures, the beard that his 13 year old brother was trying to grow. Then he tried to set Max up - not once, but twice - with his 20 year old sister!
Of course there were many other things that got giggles, including one first grader who wrote "My favorite food is sushi" on her paper, but actually wrote "I fart slushi.", which I find infinitely more amusing.
Kids are hilarious. Granted, they are trying at times and make me want to pull my hair out, but overall they are smart, sweet, adorable, amazing, amusing, and hilarious little people!
The first question every student asked him was about his age. What is it about elementary students being obsessed with age? Many of my students repeatedly ask me how old I am. Instead of telling them how old I am, I give them the month and year of my birth and tell them they can figure it out. I figure the math practice is good for them. Unfortunately, most of my students are incapable of 4 digit subtraction, and those that are are incapable of setting up the problem to begin with. A few of my students have successfully done the math (one third grader even did it in his head!), but the other students, for whatever reason, refuse to listen to them. Kids are funny.
One 1st grade boy wanted to know if Max had a bike. When he said he didn't, this boy immediately assumed it was because Max broke it, and he spent the next twenty minutes being really distracted and repeatedly asking Max why on earth he broke his bike?
While Max was reading the oh-so-exciting story "Dim Sum for Everyone" to a group of 1st graders, one student raised her hand and asked Max why some people have blue eyes. I'm not sure what made her think of that question - perhaps it is because my brother has very blue eyes? Max, after a confused look and a quick snicker, told this student he wasn't going to answer that question right then. I pointed out to her that it had nothing to do with the story, and she kind of dropped it. Later, Max told me he kind of wanted to explain the whole science behind blue eyes. I am glad he didn't.
One student reacted particularly strongly to Max. This 4th grader hid from Max at first, then began rapid firing questions such as "Are you a monster?", "Are you from outer space?", and "Are you evil?" When Max humored him and answered these questions, this student warmed up to him. He asked Max if he had facial hair (which he obviously did), and then began describing, with gestures, the beard that his 13 year old brother was trying to grow. Then he tried to set Max up - not once, but twice - with his 20 year old sister!
Of course there were many other things that got giggles, including one first grader who wrote "My favorite food is sushi" on her paper, but actually wrote "I fart slushi.", which I find infinitely more amusing.
Kids are hilarious. Granted, they are trying at times and make me want to pull my hair out, but overall they are smart, sweet, adorable, amazing, amusing, and hilarious little people!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)