LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, it is finally here! I tell you right now, it feels the same as when you were a kid. I am not teaching summer school this year and I am not in the current show(Speeding Motorcycle- a colaboration with Daniel Johnston) at my theatre www.infernalbridegroom.com so I have a full two months off!!

I know some people think that teachers have it so good because they get the summer off. Here is my response to that: I get paid a 10 month salary that is spread over 12 months. I CANNOT lose my temper at school and without time away from these kids, I might turn onto the HULK. (I actually tried keeping some kids one summer to make some extra cash and had no time away from kids and when the school year started I had NO patience and I hated teaching every day.)

This summer I will be staying as far away from kids as I can. If I think of some funny stories about the past school year or get some new ideas that I want to try out on the kids I'll let you know.

top 5 things i say to get the kids quiet

1. "Raise your hand if you are talking."
2. "Raise your hand is someone next to you is talking."
3. "Shh- shh- shh- shh- shh" (like "shave and a haircut"). The kids respond "shh-shh".
4. "One, two, three--eyes on me." Kids say, "One, two-- eyes on you." (i got that one from Ms. Henry).
5 . "Put a bubble in your mouth."

but my momma said

We had a day this week where all the first graders who were wearing their school uniform would get to have a popcicle in the courtyard at the end of the day. Our uniform consists of a solid red, white or blue shirt and blue pants. The kids are not "required" to wear the uniform, only "encouraged". Occasionaly we will have days like this to help "encourage" the kids to wear the uniforms.

Anyway, Jordan came to school in a pink and white striped shirt and a white skirt. Oh, how she cried and begged to go get a popcicle.

ME: I'm sorry you can't have a popcicle, but you didn't wear your uniform.
JORDAN: But my momma didn't let me wear my uniform today.
ME: Well, you should get up and dress yourself in your uniform on days that we are giving out a treat.
JORDAN: I do dress myself, but my momma said I couldn't wear my uniform.
ME: Well, then tell your momma that you missed out on getting a treat and see if she will take you to the store to buy you a popcicle.
JORDAN: But my momma won't buy me anything.
ME: Well just get her to take you to the store and you can use your own money to buy a popcicle.
JORDAN: My momma doesn't give me any money.
ME: Well, then here's what you do: Try real hard to do good at school so that when you get older and have kids you can have a really good job and you can be an awesome parent and buy your kids whatever they want!
JORDAN: (silent)
ME: (sigh)

in the middle of the fashion show...

We had our international raffle at school last weekend and in the middle of the fashion show this third grade girl named Ronishia wanders outside to stand near the flag pole and ends up in between the two lines of kids showing off thier international clothes. There was no problem with her being in the middle, she looked just like everybodybody else--smiling at the kids and clapping her hands.

I started watching her to see what her reaction would be when she noticed that she was caught in the middle. I guess she thought it was pretty cool because all of a sudden she turned around and hugged the flag pole and said, "I LOVE THIS PLACE!"

The thing I like about this story is that Roneshia moved to our school from Louisiana because of the hurricane. Just another thing I love about my job.

makes it all worthwhile

Hailey's 2nd grade class is really tough. They have had more lessons on behavior than on Drama. Usually when they come to my class, they are already having all sorts of "drama" of their own. Fighting. Tattling. Pushing. Talking mean to each other. I spend the first 20 minutes calming them down and then end up give them a speach about the Golden Rule. I guess some of it is finally sinking in!

HAILEY: Mr. Bowers, this weekend, I was at my uncles house and we were playing in the pool and there was this tile that had come loose and we were playing with it by throwing it in the water and then diving for it. I was throwing it and I threw it too hard and it hit the side of the pool and broke."
BOWERS: Uh oh.
HAILEY: We weren't gonna tell my uncle, but then I thought about what you told us in class and then we decided to tell my uncle.
BOWERS: Did you get in trouble?
HAILEY: No! He said it was alright.
BOWERS: Were you scared when you were telling your uncle?
HAILEY: Yeah! I was real scared!
BOWERS: That took a lot of courage didn't it class? Let's give her a hand for telling the truth!
CLASS: YEAH!!