These Crazy Kindergarteners!

Man! These little guys really crack me up! I call role to help me learn their names and sometimes a kid will correct me when I call their first and last name by saying their whole name--first, middle and last. Usually, I write it down and call them by all three names for their entire tenure at my school--preK all the way to 5th.

Today, I was calling role and it went down something like this (I'm changing the kids first and last name to protect his identity--but the middle name is real):

MR. BOWERS: Jonathan Tatum.
JONATHAN: Jonathan O'NEIL Tatum!
MR. BOWERS: Did you say, "Jonathan Neil?"
JONATHAN: Jonathan O! Neil.
SOME OTHER KINDERGARTENER: Jonathan OATMEAL???
REST OF THE KINDERGARTENERS: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
MR. BOWERS: (sigh.)

Muy Bien

Today, I was using the puppets with the Kindergarteners--some of them speak English as a second language:

MR. BOWERS: Maritza, do you want a turn?

MARITZA: No, gracias.

MR. BOWERS: But, this puppet speaks spanish!

MARITZA: OK.

Those Kindergarteners do Grow Up

I got a nice email today:

Mr. Bowers,

You most likely will not remember me. I took drama at your school whilst a kindergartener in 1997. I only have a few memories while in kindergarten and some of them contain my time in your classroom. If i remember correctly you were a cheerful teacher with a portable as a room. Thanks for being a awesome drama teacher and keep it up.

I'm 18 years old now. I'm studying pre-pharmacy at the University of Houston and doing great. I contacted you because i believe teachers have a lot to do with the personal growth of a human. My morals and support system could have been greatly influenced by any teacher during my childhood developmental phase. Due to this, i feel it is my obligation to thank you. I am pretty successful in regards to a 18 year old college student. The teachers throughout my life have had significant influence on my success so you have my infinite gratitude. By the way i thought your name was mr. bowser due to playing too much mario.

-Shipapul

Sadly, I was once addicted to Mario Kart on the N64 system. I know what he's going through. I still have a portable as a room. They call it a "temporary building" but there ain't nothing "temporary" about it--it's been here for 20 years! Ahh, life in the trailer park.

Secret Kindergarten Puppy

What a day. Yesterday, one of our kindergarteners brought this puppy to school and kept it in his backpack all day. The puppy was discovered after school. The parents were called and they came to "retrieve" the shivering one-month old. The kid kept the puppy a secret almost till the end of the day, when he told another kid in a different class about it, and that kid told his teacher.

English as a Second Language

OMAR: Mr. Bowers, my little sister, Jana, can't find her class.
MR. BOWERS: Jana, who is your teacher?
JANA: ??
MR. BOWERS: WHO-IS-YOUR-TEACHER?
JANA: ??
OMAR: She doesn't speak English, Mr. Bowers.
MR. BOWERS: Ahhh. Cual es el nombre de tu maestra?
JANA: ??
OMAR: No! she speaks Arabic, like me.
MR. BOWERS: ??

Golden Rule

MR. BOWERS: Ok, class, what is "The Golden Rule?"...Yes, D'mitri?
D'MITRI: Always be kind to Jesus.

Close Your Eyes

I want you to imagine that you are older--way older--and you are looking in the mirror. You see your face and it looks older, and you kinda look like your mom or dad.

Now imagine that you look on the floor next to you and there is a kid looking up at you, who really looks a lot like you! Imagine that you tell the kid, "Ok, it's time to go to bed." The kid gets all grumpy looking and says, "NO! I don't want to go to bed!" You tell him, "NOW!" and he stomps to his room and you follow him and see that the room is a total mess—toys everywhere and potato chips all over the bed!

Now, rewind it--you are still looking in the mirror and you look down at the kid and say, "Ok, it's time to go to bed." and the kid jumps up and skips off happily to their room and you follow. When you get to the room, it is immaculate--all the toys are put away and everything looks perfect--but you can't find the kid! Finally you look at the bed and the kid is all under the covers except the face, which is smiling so sweet!


Now--OPEN YOUR EYES!

Remember that first kid? Would you want to do extra stuff for that kid who is so GRUMPY? How about the second kid? Wouldn't you want to treat that one extra special for being so sweet and cooperative?

Well, someday, you may be a parent, but right now you are the KID! You are THE APPLE OF YOUR PARENTS EYES! You are the one that your parents imagined having!

Are you giving your parents and teachers the respect and cooperation that you would want to get if you were a parent or teacher?

Sure She Did

MR. BOWERS: Hey, Stephanie. How is your rabbit?
STEPHANIE: He went back home--MY MOM LEFT HIM OUT OF HIS CAGE!!!