Last Class!

I just had my last class of this year. I am NOT teaching summer school. I have many posts to catch up on--maybe this summer. I need a break! I didn't kill anyone this year! HOORAY!

Pre-K Poker

I had a Pre-K girl come to me the other day who had poked another kid with a pencil. I asked her to go to the office. She would not go. I asked her again. She would not go. I found another teacher in the hall and asked her to take the kid to the office. She would not go with the other teacher.

Now, I can't pick her up or drag her to the office and I was very frustrated and at a loss. I called the office to come and get her, but they were busy handling other situations at the time.

Finally the idea hit me, "Let's go for a walk--everyone line up!" They did--including the "poker". We walked down the stairs and around the courtyard and then past the library and by the cafeteria and then walked through the office and as we passed through the office--that's when they nabbed her!

Then the rest of the class and I went back to the room for our lesson. :)

The Wasted Time Can

I just have to share this. The Music Teacher at my school has a Wasted Time Can! It is the coolest thing. It is an old coffee can that is decorated and has its' name on it. Any time a kid is playing around with something in her class, she tells them to put it in the can.

She has had the can for about three years and the stuff in it is pretty random. It has rubber bands, toys of all kinds, necklaces, bracelets, keys--even a wheel from those tennis shoes with skates on the bottom.

The kids know about the can and always hate to put things in it--but they don't argue about it--they just know that is the consequence.

Yesterday one of the kids asked, "Do we get the stuff back at the end of the year?" Another kid shouted out, "No, she gives the stuff to all the good kids!"

Actually, the stuff just stays in the can--she still has stuff that she took from kids three years ago. I think she should give the stuff back when the kid gets to 5th grade.

When I was in 5th grade, my friend Alan and I were playing with some toy cars on the bathroom walls and we got sent to the principal to get licks! The principal also took the cars away and told us that we could get them back on the last day of school.

Sure enough, we went back at the end of the year and asked for them. He had no idea what we were talking about. I told him, "They are in that top drawer on the left." He pulled them out and was surprised. He couldn't even remember taking them away from us. I told him, "You even gave us licks!" Again, he was surprised.

A few years ago, I heard that he was elected mayor of the city where I grew up. I wouldn't have voted for him!

My New Step Dad's a Cowboy

So we get this new first grader at our school and she tells me she's from New York:

MR. BOWERS: Oh, you're from New York? Why did you move to Houston?
TYLER: My mom and dad got separated.
MR. BOWERS: Aww, so did my parents.
TYLER: But now I got a new step dad.
MR. BOWERS: Oh, really?
TYLER: Yep. He's a cowboy.
MR. BOWERS: Do you like him?
TYLER: Yeah, he's real nice. He hits my mom sometimes, though.
MR. BOWERS: Oh no! Why does he do that?
TYLER: Cowboys are like that.
MR. BOWERS: A real cowboy would never hit a girl. You should tell your mom, "Let's get outta here!" Does he ever hit you?
TYLER: No! He even protects me from my mom. Like when I get in trouble at school, he tells her not to be so mad at me.
MR. BOWERS: Well, if he ever decides to hit you, you and your mom better get away from him.

Motorbike

Jerry (5th grade) said, "I have a motor bike! See, I have a bike and I am the motor!"

Winfred

Winfred was in First grade when I started teaching Drama at this school. I had him all the way through fourth grade. Now he is a senior. Yesterday, I got this letter from his mother.


Good afternoon,

I have a praise report to share!!! Winfred was accepted to Babson College, a private college, in Massachusetts. Babson is the #1 Entrepreneurialship school in the nation, and a Top 10 Business School overall. Over 4000 Freshmen applied and they only accepted 400. This was an honorable accomplishment in and of itself. The problem was this private school wanted $48,000/yr. to go to their school. Mommy and Daddy said "Son, we cannot pay that kind of money for you to go to school. They will have to come with some serious financial aid." Winfred was determined to go. He and his dad went on the College Diversity Tour there and he fell in love with the school. He said knew he was going there and felt that God was going to make a way for him to go.

Well, I am just here to tell you that God has indeed made a way!!! He got his financial aid packet from them and they are offering him $45,681/yr. Mom and dad and family and friends will only have to pay $2586 for the year to go there and that includes tuition, housing and meal plan!!!! God is so good!! My child will be going off to Massachusetts to Babson College. I know I'll be crying soon but right now I am rejoicing over all that God has done. This is a testimony of my child's faith, he believed and trusted God and God rewarded his faithfulness!!!