Goofballs!

Bags galore, many stuffed to the brim, are toted by children through our school hallways en route to a big pile in our foyer.  This occurs during Sack Pack week in May, and the bags are filled with clothes and toys for Goodwill.  Students typically feel so happy that they're able to donate and help others, and many stop me along my way in order to tell me exactly what they're carrying in those bags. Recently, I noticed a grinning first grader holding two fat plastic grocery bags, one in each hand, up close to his chest. "Look, Miss Mimi, I have boobs!" he announced to one and all. " From somewhere nearby, I heard another child quip, "Hey Dolly!"  Hearty giggling ensued, and I just shook my head, thinking that there's rarely a dull minute in primary school hallways first thing in the morning!

A Day Without Work

"Work first, play later!" is one of the mantras we've learned as part of a kindergarten study skills unit.  "Do the most important things first, bop bop bop!"

At the beginning of each classroom guidance lesson, I have to unpack my bags, which are filled to overflowing with teaching supplies.  (Alas, such are the trials of a traveling teacher!)  Well, I have to carry strong magnets as well as pushpins in order to be able to hang my posters and charts on either magnetic or bulletin boards, depending on which is available in the particular classroom I'm visiting. I always have trouble separating the pushpins from the magnets, as they clump together in the bottom of my bags.  Sometimes I comment that, since they're all grouped together, they're having a PARTY in those bags and that they didn't invite me!

The other day I was trying to untangle the thumbtacks from the magnets as Ms. Smith's kindergarten class waited patiently for me to get ready to teach.  One grinning boy on the front row said, "Are they having a party today, Miss Mimi?"  "I reckon they are," I replied.  As quick as a wink, the clever child quipped, "Work now, party later!"  I cracked up, and so did the other children.  However, I was thrilled that this little tyke had taken to heart the study skills lessons I'd been teaching!

The very next day, I passed Ms. Smith's class on their way back from lunch.  They were in high gear because they'd had field day that morning and were getting ready for their end-of-the-year party that afternoon.  When the teacher spoke to me in the hallway and mentioned their doubly exciting day, I was happy to be able to say to the kids, "Party first, party later!"  And a good time was had by all!

Lesson in a Nutshell

Respect is correct!  As part of a unit on being champion students, our kindergarten lesson this week has been on showing respect for learning and for the feelings of others.  After finishing a discussion about the reasons for being respectful and singing and dancing to a peppy song, the children voted on the storybook they wanted me to hear.  As usual, I went down the class list and gave out puppets to hold during the story.  Since this was our last guidance class of the school year, it was the final chance for students to have a turn, and only 6 puppets were available.  After all of them had been handed out, a little girl with long golden hair said disappointedly, "Miss Mimi, it's been a really long time since I had a turn to hold a puppet."  "Yes," I replied, "your name was called last week, but you were absent."  Nodding her head, the child accepted the fact that she had missed her turn the previous week.  In a split second and with no prompting whatsoever, a little blond "Dennis the Menace" jumped up and headed across the carpet with his alligator puppet in hand, saying, "Here, she can have mine."  Instant tears flooded my eyes and I exclaimed, "Oh, that's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.  Now THAT is showing respect for feelings. I've got tears in my eyes!"  An auburn-haired girl touched her eyes and said, "I've got tears, too!"  Still another sitting behind the hero boy blurted, "Me too!"  And then a fair-haired child in the back row said to the boy who'd given up his puppet, "Here, you can have mine."  Another girl in the back corner said, "You can have mine, too!"  I squealed with genuine delight and said, "Well, I don't need to say another word about respect because YOU have got it got it got it!"  We all enjoyed some laughter and camaraderie before settling down for the story, but I can guarantee that the sun was shining BRIGHTLY in Ms. Ratner's class yesterday!