Attack of the 8-legged Beast

April: 
Be a Child of God- "Let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't." Verse 6



Step One: I ain't scared.  
Step Two: Quit Comparing. 
Step Three: Be Real.  
Step Four: Keep the Faith.  


I sat, teaching about a surely important subject, using my projector.  Twenty-two children plunked down, cross legged on our speckled classroom carpet, ears perked and listening.  They fixed their eyes on the stark white screen projected with pictures and words for their learning.  As I rambled on, I noticed a stirring within them. My inner teacher reacted quickly in a scolding fashion, reminding them, yet again, that it was important to pay attention.  


I noticed a shift in their eyes from the projector to the ceiling, and back again.  I followed their gaze toward the projector, and dancing on the screen was a three foot, blurry, eight-legged creature-- or, it's shadow.  I brought my eyes to the ceiling, worried and nervous about what I would find.  And, to my comical relief, a tiny spider dangled in front of the projector lens, blinded from the light no doubt.  


In stunned confusion, the spider dropped, as if on mission impossible, using its silk.  He sank smack dab in the middle of my pod of children, and hung right above their heads.  


Giggles, shrieks, and movement happened all at once.  Finally, a little girl grabbed the silk string and walked the spider out the door, saving us from the eight-legged beast.  


Although it took us quite a while to revert to normal learning behaviors, I had to laugh at the absurdity of it all.  The tiniest of spiders appeared large and ferocious in what turned out to be an allusion.  


April's goal is to be a child of God.  I think it's appropriate to make step one: I ain't scared.  I think there's a great deal of fear involved when considering to bare your soul to others. We are afraid of what image will be projected of us-- a larger, hairier, not-exactly-accurate version of ourselves. And our faith.  


In order to be a child of God, I need to let go of the world's web that entangles us in doubt, fear, and rejection.  I need to be confident in my status as a child of God.  It is my identity. 

Zebra Question

March: 
Be Involved- "In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body..." Verses 4&5

Step One: Need Other People 
Step Two: Get To Know New People 

Step Three: Know Yourself

   Zebra Question

I asked a zebra,

Are you black with white stripes?

Or white with black stripes?

And the zebra asked me, 

Are you good with bad habits? 

Or are you bad with good habits? 

Are you noisy with quiet times?

Or are you quiet with noisy times? 

Are you happy with some sad days?

Or are you sad with some happy days? 

Are you neat with some sloppy ways?

Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?

And on and on and on and on 

And on and on he went. 

I'll never ask a zebra

About stripes

Again. 

- Shell Silverstein, A Light in the Attic 

If you can't tell, third graders are learning a few things about poetry right now. I read this particular poem in class today, and I want to know, are we Christ with some worldly ways? Or are we worldly with some Christ ways? Do we get our meaning from the body of Christ, or does the body of Christ get it's meaning from us?

This month's goal is to be involved, and as the verse says, "Each of us finds our meaning and function as part of His body."  I think that in order to really do this, we need to give ourselves a little evaluation: a zebra question.  

Confiscated



This is what I confiscated minutes before my afternoon class began. What you can't see are the makeshift itty bitty T-Rex arms clawing out. Oh, and the mouth opens to show a red tongue and scary teeth. Glad we're being productive here.



Why Wasn't I Born a Vegetarian?

I love all of my students, they are really a lot of fun and keep me laughing. But, there's something about students who need a little extra attention that keep me laughing and engaged. I have a little friend who loves dinosaurs. And when I say love, I mean love. We've had some conversations in the past week that I couldn't help but giggle at.

- "Why did the dinosaurs have to die???? What did they ever do to deserve being extinct???"

- "I don't know why I wasn't born a vegetarian."
"Are you a vegetarian?"
"Nope."
"So, you're a meat eater?"
"Yeah."
"Like a dinosaur?"
"Well, not all of them."

- "Why aren't you writing down the thoughts you have on your book?" Me, asking him to get back on task.

"Well, about that. I don't really have any thoughts."

- I took up a dinosaur from him in the morning and put it in my desk. After recess, I sent him inside on an errand and he never returned. I found him in the classroom looking for "Chomp" just to "Make sure he was ok."

- My teaching parnter, the math teacher had filled the kids in on what was in the class store on Fridays. Here's what was said to me following.

“I can’t wait till Friday.”
“Why?”
“Because, well, try not to freak out about this, but you know those stickers you give us? “
“Yeah, I do.”
“Well, those send us straight to a store! And sometimes you can get dinosaurs- like that one you took from me?”
“Yeah, I remember. You better be working hard for those stickers!”
“Yeah.”



LOVE IT!

Fancy

A little boy who was in my class last year came up to me in the hallway and said, "I just can't see you driving a jeep. You're too fancy for that."

CAMP OUT

TAKS is here. Tomorrow. Say a prayer for those babies, I hope they learned something this year.

To finalize our preparation for the TAKS tests, we had a reading "camp out" today. The kids brought blankets, pillows and books. They were supposed to read while I called them up for conferences.

After a while, one boy came up to my table.

He said, "Okay. Now, don't get mad, but come look at our fort! And we have two emergency exits!"

Throwing Starfish

There is a story we told in our class:

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"



In our class we have a "starfish bulletin board" where the kids can "throw" starfish to one another, giving compliments. I read a few today and wanted to share them!


You were my first friend at this school. You told me everything I needed to know. That’s why I’m throwing a starfish.



You are a great friend. Good Sarcasm, good personality.


You are 100.9 percent brain. The other half is humor.


We met first at this school. You’re a funny duck.



You are my best friend in the class! You are like no one else. Keep it up!


You are a good friend and you always keep promises.



You clean like a machine!


Remember at recess when we were digging up those rocks? You are a great digger.


You are a great friend and an amazing draw-er.


You are a great friend and when I need company, you are always there for me!


We are going to be best friends forever. I’m glad I moved here.

You're a great friend! It's like you make the world spin. You have a smile that brightens the whole day. That's what makes you my best friend.

Now, doesn't that just warm your heart?

Real Women

It is the week before TAKS. (I can hear the jaws theme in my head when I think of this dumb test.)

Needless to say, stress is running high for principals, teachers and students. Today, I was reviewing a TAKS reading passage with a group at my table when another child ran up to me and reported,"Ms. Waggoner! __________ and ____________ said a really bad word!" (I'm going to leave the names of these sweet and innocent girls a secret.)

I didn't really believe that these two accused could have done something of that nature, but I continued with, "And, what word was that?"

The responsible reporter answered,"A-S-S-H-O-L-E".

I nodded and planned to investigate later, though I didn't think it really happened.

I pulled the girls in question into the hallway and began my interrogation.

"Girls, I am receiving reports that you have said an inappropriate word. Why am I hearing that?"

Wide eyes, and silence. THEY WERE GUILTY!

"Did you say it?" I pushed.

They nodded.

"Why did you feel compelled to say something like that?" I was curious now.

Silence.

Then, one fessed up, "We decided...that if we could say that word... that we would be real women."



LOL... the question is, are YOU a real woman?

Top Ten Things Teaching Teaches Me...

10. If you mess up with a sharpie on laminated paper, all you have to do is use a dry erase marker and an eraser and it's MAGIC, I tell you.

9. I am a horrific speller. Chalk boards should come with spellcheck.

8. A visit to the nurse and a peppermint makes everyone feel better.

7. I think I am creating Dumbledore's Army by reading Harry Potter to these children.

6. You can't control everything in life.

5. Lunch is overrated, and chocolate goes a long way.

4. I really DO have eyes in the back of my head!

3. Adults are shaped while they are children.

2. Everyone wants to be loved.

1. We never stop learning.

My Kind of Math Problem

The kids were asked to write their own math problem. And, this was the best one!

"Ms. Castro has 12 boyfriends and Ms. Waggoner has 3 times as many. How many do they have in all?"


Good to know I'm winning the relationship race somewhere!

There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

Well, life has definitely sped up since August. The beginning of school is like a whirl wind in west Texas. You don't exactly know where it's going to go or if it's going to slap you in the face with dirt. This year has brought many changes, both good and bad. It is teaching me to grow as a person, employee, and teacher. I am really enjoying my kids. (yay!)

I say all that to say this. Our numbers are incredibly high this year and as a result, teaching space is limited. For half of the school day I work as a reading interventionist pulling low readers out for extra help. The only space available lies near the bathroom in a "pod" area. There is a white board, a janitor closet, a staff bathroom, and a bathroom used by the entire school. Sometimes, it's hard to get a small group focused. They are more interested in kids skipping down the hallway or janitors moaning and groaning in the closet while digging for a mop. Classes leave for P.E. or Library. A teacher they know walks to the bathroom and waves. Not unique to today, I felt pressed for time. I was working hard to keep the kids on track amidst the chaos ensuing around us. As I went to explaining plot, young girls ran from the bathroom yelling for me (even though they don't know my name, kids result to tattling to the nearest adult). I reluctantly left my hard working students and went to investigate the problem. "A boy is in the girls' bathroom!!!" they informed me. I wasn't sure what sort of mischief was occurring in this unsupervised area, but I was annoyed. I had kids to teach, here! I rounded the corner and found the stall door wide open and a small boy with pants unzipped. I backed up and let him finish. When he came out, I quite calmly and sweetly (OK, as much as I could muster) asked, "Did you know this was the girls' bathroom?" And this was his reply, "Yes. But the boys' bathroom is tooooo dirty." Oh my.

I escorted my new first grade friend back to class and tried to resume my "class".

And so it is a day in the life of me... teaching by the bathrooms.

Critical Literacy

We are working on critical literacy in class right now. We are comparing various super heroes and practicing with perspective.  

I asked, "How would Superman be different if he grew up in Mexico?" 

The responses: 

- "He would speak Spanish!" 

-"He would wear a poncho!" 

-"He would have the swine flu!!!" 

The Witching Hour

Well the weather contradicts the break and reflects my mood. Ironically this serves as one of my favorite types of weather. I love dreary dark clouds full of rain. I love wearing ugg boots and jeans, marching around in chilliness. Minutes away from spring break- yes SPRING- my skin is crawling. Because of the brooding TAKS test, teachers and children alike have been a bit ... unruly. Because of the rain we had inside recess. Because of inside recess the kids can't sit still. The witching hour. I got the term from my dear friend, Michelle. And does it ever hold true. The past hour as we all anticipate the arrival of freedom, teachers are snapping and kids are loosing all control. Will the bell EVER ring? I've eaten a blue cupcake and my fingers are stained from the icing. Who wants to listen to me anyway? I say, "sit down. Sit Down. SIT DOWN. SIT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And alas, I am saved. The bell sounded and I am sending these darlings into the damp cold to be dealt with by their parents. And I am off the hook for days. DAYS OF FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

The Big Bad Wolf

"Dear Ms. Waggoner,
Good Luck. I hope everybody in yur klas pasis Taks so you do not git fired!" Love, Kindergarten

Today, during and after the test I saw:

* A little girl finding a sticky note and turning it into an origami basket of some kind. Perfectly content.

* A little boy with 15 Kleenexes covering his watery eye.

* A little cheerleader inspecting split ends.

* An OCD boy checking and rechecking and rechecking his work. Not a mark out of place for that one.

* A very cute boy sneezing loudly and drawn out, "A-HUH-HA-HUH-HA-HUM!!!!!!!!!"

* A sleeping boy with a near waking snort. I poked him in the arm for a few minutes without success in waking him.

* A drama queen playing with the tie on her shirt. A bow. A bandit. A bird. A ribbon. ADD.

* An innocent sitting perfectly still and quiet.

* A wild one silently twisting in a little blanket and then flopping out of his chair and onto the floor bringing both the chair and desk with him. Then standing, giving me a look of regret and shock.

* Giggles from those around him, including me.

* A significantly quirky one taking his shoes on and off. On and off. On and off.

* A sweet one smiling through glasses and missing teeth.

* An annoyed one sighing impatiently. *Sigh*

* A bored child half hidden by her sweatshirt hood, batman style.

* A clever boy making eyes at the others. I make them back.

My precious children. Nerds, every last one of them. I'm glad that test is over. :)

20 questions

A few things I've been asked in recent: 

Ms. Waggoner, can I go to the bathroom? 

Ms. Waggoner, my arm hurts when I move it like this. 

Ms. Waggoner, do you have a pencil?

Ms. Waggoner, can I go to the bathroom? 

Ms. Waggoner, can I go wash the marker off my face? Tressa did it. 

Ms. Waggoner, my tooth is coming out. 

Ms. Waggoner, did they have sonic 100 years ago?

Ms. Waggoner, do I have to write in sentences?

Ms. Waggoner, my head is bleeding a little bit. 

Ms. Waggoner, can I put that they flew with wings? 

Ms. Waggoner, why did you change the desks? 

Ms. Waggoner, is this for a grade?

Ms. Waggoner, what time is lunch?

Ms. Waggoner, do we need our jackets?

Ms. Waggoner? Ms. Waggoner? Ms. Waggoner!!! 

Sometimes, I hate my name... And love it all the same.  

Ah.. kids.

We've been working on a unit in school about influential people. I asked the kids to study a certain list and then choose one they are interested in. I then asked them to pretend their person was still alive. They were to think of different things they would like to say or ask that person. To get them started, we had just finished an interested discussion over Helen Keller. So, I probed them by asking, "What kinds of things would you like to ask Helen Keller?"

The first blurted out question came from an innocent girl. "What's her favorite color?"

Priceless.