Smile Sighting #36

The kids discovered that going down the slide in snow pants makes you go much faster and fly much farther at the end.

So, of course, they all line up for their turn.  Most of them landed on their feet.  However, one kid flew literally 5 feet off the end of the slide and landed flat on his rear in the same sitting position.  In my head, I was thinking, "OUCH!" and was preparing to console a crying kid.

Nope.  He exclaimed, "That was AWESOME!" and gets back in line.

This reminds me of two things.  First, that I was never cold as a kid.  I was happy to be outside even when it was  below zero.  A lot of times, I was moving around so much I was soaked in sweat by the time I came back inside.  Second, I'm getting old.  If I had pulled that move, I'd be sore for a week.

Smile Sighting #35

This isn't exactly a SMILE sighting... but I still felt the need to share.

I walked into lunch and took off all my winter gear.  I look over and see a little boy (a 2nd grader) sitting all by himself.  I make it a point to talk to these kids... make sure everything is cool.  Some prefer to sit alone, and others will open up about a fight they had with a friend that day.

This kid started SOBBING before he could get a word out.  His whole face turned red as he explained what had happened.  He was sitting with a group of girls that were now behind him.  He said they were all talking when he said, "Hey!  You guys are all friends and you all have brown skin!"

One of the girls had told on him and he was sent to eat by himself.  While I don't believe this was the appropriate course of action, I tried to explain to him what had just happened.  He said he didn't mean to be mean, he was just making an observation (in 2nd grade language).  I told him that sometimes, things you say might hurt somebody's feelings, even if you don't think it will.

I reminded him that they weren't any different than he was.  He said, "I know!  I just thought it was cool!"  Poor guy had a foot in mouth moment.  He was confused about why he was in trouble and why that verbal observation was bad.  I tried to explain, but I would hope that a teacher or parent will follow up!

Smile Sighting #34

I asked M if he was ready.

He says, "I was BORN ready!  I came outta my momma FULLY DEVELOPED!"

:)

Smile Sighting #33

Today a kindergarden girl was trying desperately to remove her boots and snow pants.  In the process she was singing.  She realized I was listening to her and she said, "I don't sing very good."

I said, "It's okay, I don't sing well either but I still do it all the time."

She says, "Actually, I'm a good singer, but that's my SECRET."

:)

Smile Sighting #32

We had indoor recess on Monday because the windchill was -11 degrees.  I went to one of the kindergarden rooms to help out and ended up coloring with a bunch of the kids.  We were discussing dinosaurs and butterflies when one girl randomly asked, "Are you married?"

For some reasons, kids are OBSESSED with finding out if you're married or have a boyfriend/girlfriend.  I told them yes.

A couple minutes later another girl asked what my name was.  I said, "You can call me Miss Liz."  They asked, "Why not MRS.?"  I said, "I don't know, I feel like that makes me old."  One girl asked if I had kids.  I replied that I didn't.  She said, "Oh!  Okay, then.  You don't have to be a Mrs until you have kids, Okay?!"

Thanks doll.

Smile Sighting #31

A boy came up to me today and asked what "bi" meant.  Of course, I wasn't sure if he meant "bi" or "bye" but I had a sneaking suspicion.

Can you use that in a sentence A?
"Hmmm..." he says, and runs off.

Smile Sighting #30

MB suddenly stops playing basketball at recess and comes running up to me.  She declares, "MY BUTT HURTS!"  I'm a little confused and ask "WHY?!"  She says, "I bruised my COCCYX!"

What 5th grader calls her tail bone by the correct name?!  Fabulous!

Smile Sighting #29

K, a kindergartener, hugs me EVERY DAY at school.  I usually see him first at recess.  This is when he runs up to me full speed and jumps up as high as can to hug (and cling) to me.  I can usually put up with one or two of these before I tell him he's got to stop and give me "gentle hugs."  Today he did it in front of his teacher.  She reminded him to be gentle... "Liz loves you, too but you have to be gentle!  Remember to keep your hands to yourself!"

I stand in line with him on our way to music.  When his teacher is looking, his hands are down at his side.  When she isn't looking, he's trying to find my hand with his tiny hand.  Too cute.

Smile Sighting #28

A tells me I have beautiful hair.  I said, "Oh yeah?  I was thinking I wanted to cut it all off because it drives me crazy."  He says, "NO!  You should put some mini braids in it instead and then you'd be like... a white gansta!"

Smile Sighting #27

I was attempting to find a way to explain fractions to two of my kids.  We were adding them, and trying to understand that something like 2/4 is equal to 1/2.  I tried to explain it in some real life example they could grasp (rather than some abstract nothingness).  My first example was money.  50 cents is half a dollar.  If M has 50 cents and finds 50 cents, how much does he have?  T says, "Two dollars!"  That didn't work.  So I moved onto sandwiches.  I said, "You have one half of a sandwich in one hand and one half in the other.  If you put them together you get..."  (see below for visual of what I was doing and answer I was given)

"ONE TINY SANDWICH!"

Smile Sighting #27

I was attempting to find a way to explain fractions to two of my kids.  We were adding them, and trying to understand that something like 2/4 is equal to 1/2.  I tried to explain it in some real life example they could grasp (rather than some abstract nothingness).  My first example was money.  50 cents is half a dollar.  If M has 50 cents and finds 50 cents, how much does he have.  T says, "Two dollars!"  That didn't work.  So I moved onto sandwiches.  I said, "You have one half of a sandwich in one hand and one half in the other.  If you put them together you get..."  (see below for visual and answer I was given)

"ONE TINY SANDWICH!"

Smile Sighting #26

This isn't one incident, but several.  

I have to smile every time I see a kid dancing and singing his/her way through the hallways, especially when they think they're alone.  What's cuter?  When they try to play it off after you round the corner or they realize you were behind them the whole time. 

:)

Smile Sighting #25

I left work after being there for only 30 minutes today because I was SURE I was going to barf.  My math kids and I were in "The Loft" in the media center when I abruptly told them we needed to go back to the classroom because I felt like I was going to hurl.  They all started offering suggestions to "keep it down."  One girl tells me on our way out, "You can barf on J.  He wont contribute anything to society."

Smile Sighting #24

A little girl comes up to me with a rock in her hand.  She says, "Isn't this a cool rock?"  I said, "Yes!  It looks like a worn down chunk of brick."  She says, "It reminds me of a very special picnic I went on with my Mommy, my brother and my Daddy."  She proceeds to detail the whole trip (down to everything they ate) and even remembered that Daddy "smooshed" a bug that got close to Mommy.  Too, cute.

Smile Sighting #23

I couldn't decide if this one was cute or creepy.  I decided to not read into it too much and post!

M says, "I knew you were here today because I could smell your scent before I even got in the door!"

Maybe I should lay off the amount of perfume I'm using to cover up cigarette smell. :P

Smile Sighting #22

M, the boy I've been working on math stuff with, hurt his thumb 2 days ago.  He's had an ace bandage on it since it happened, but last night somebody managed to kick him in his hand (I didn't ask...).  So now it's 3 times the size it was after it swelled the first time.  He's going to the doctor after school, but it was no reason to be sent home.  However, he was having a hard time writing.

We were doing division today.  He was telling me the steps and answers while I was writing everything for him.  He says, "Dang... I feel like an old MAN!  Everybody has to do everything for me!  With my luck, tomorrow you'll have to change my DIAPER!"

Smile Sighting #21

D does his own thing.  He needs help staying on task sometimes.  During the time that they were supposed to be writing a letter to their parents (or other guardian) for conferences, he was doodling.  I squatted down to his desk and asked what he was doing.

No answer.

"Are you supposed to be writing your letter for conferences?"

No answer.

"Where's your paper for the letter?"

No answer.

New approach... "What is it that you're drawing."

No answer.

"Are you just ignoring me?"

"Yes."

"Oh okay, then."  I went to retrieve a fresh piece of lined paper for him, put it on his desk and walked away.

A minute later and he's writing his letter.  We just decided how he and I communicate.

Smile Sighting #20

Girl to another girl:
"Are we chasing boys today?"

:)  Brought back so many recess memories.

Smile Sighting #19

T and J come over to report that K called J a "Mother F*cker."  I said, "Why did J call you that, T?"  He says, "Because I kicked him in the balls."

Nice.

Smile Sighting #18

A girl asks me how to spell "CHOKE."  I said, "Sound it out and spell it like you think it should be spelled and I'll tell you if it's right or not.  If it isn't, you can go look it up in the dictionary."

....

She comes back and points to her spelling... "C-O-C-K."  I suppressed a laugh and just gave her the correct spelling before somebody came along and saw it.

Smile Sighting #17

A boy runs up to me on the playground... "Can I go to the nurse?  A tooth just fell out of my mouth."  He held up a slobbery tooth covered in dirt and leaves.  "Yes, please go."

Smile Sighting #16

A female student asked me if I was pregnant today.
I said, "Nope, just fat but thanks for brining that to my attention."
She said, "NO!  You're not fat... my Aunt is fatter than you... it was just the way that shirt fits you."

Blagh.

She learned a new, unspoken social rule today.  Don't even ask...

Smile Sighting #15

I'm sitting on the floor next to "T" and he's reading to me.  His voice is the ONLY thing you can hear in the room.  His head is literally right next to a girl's "rear" sitting in a chair.  I'm sitting close to him on the other side.  All of the sudden, I hear this HUGE fart.  I looked at him, he looks at her and then back at me.  I laughed REALLY loud (because honestly, farts are the funniest thing EVER).  T says, "Who did that?!"  The teacher says, "It's okay... keep working."  Apparently we aren't supposed to react to really loud gas emissions.  I stopped laughing and we continued to read.

However, I couldn't stop.  The fight to hold it back lasted easily 20 minutes.

Smile Sighting #14

This one requires some background information.  The boy I've been working with for 2 weeks now, we'll call him "M," has been failing math.  He is a sharp kid.  He's funny, witty and surprises you with random knowledge constantly.  He's taken to me.  He runs up to me with a high five or hug daily.  Every time I go into the classroom, I'm greeted with enthusiasm (what more could you ask for, right?!).

He gets frustrated when he doesn't know the answer right away, though.  He asks for help or says he doesn't get it.  I say, "M, I know you know this.  You did this problem perfectly yesterday.  You can do it again."  I've taught him little tricks to remember things (like what an acute angle is... what an Isoceles triangle is... rhymes for remembering multiplication answers, etc).  He catches on very quickly, especially when somebody instills some confidence in him.

They had a math test on Thursday.  I told his teacher I wanted to do something special for him and the other two kids I've been working with if they got a C or above.  I really thought a C would have been an accomplishment by itself.  I checked in with their teacher twice on Thursday to see if they had been graded, but no luck.  Today, I went out for recess.  When the fourth graders came out, M came running full speed at me!

He gives me this HUGE hug and says, "LIZ!  I GOT AN A ON THE TEST!!"  I thought he was pulling my leg for a second, "REALLY?!"  He says, "Yes!  And when I finished the test, I knew I did well so I said, 'ALL because of Liz.'"  Is that not the SWEETEST thing?!

Honestly, I nearly cried with the amount of pride I felt for him and the other two I've been working with (they got B's... which of course it amazing, too... however, they were still not satisfied with themselves). I also nearly cried because ALL they needed was TWO weeks of special attention.  That's it!

What is great about my job other than all these Smile Sightings?  WATCHING my hard work pay off.  Finally, something I'm doing shows marked improvement in somebody's life.

Smile Sighting #13

Little girl comes out for recess today.  She's talking to her friend very seriously about how she's "allergic to the sun."  This is because, "Every time I come outside, I sneeze a lot."

Smile Sighting #12

Three boys were standing in a triangle just KICKING each other.  I walked over and said, "Hey!  No kicking guys!"  One boy asked, "Why?"  I said, "Because, you could hurt somebody!"  He says, "Oh, I didn't know..." and runs off.

Smile Sighting #11

It was a little windy today at recess and a bit cold.  One kid found a corner that was especially warm.  He said quietly to himself, "Oh!  It feels like an oven over here!"  Then, ran over to a crowd of kids and yelled, "Hey everybody!  It feels like a pot pie over here!"  

Smile Sighting #10

There's this thing called "Fill the Bucket" at school.  I didn't know what it was.  While pondering a new way to get my kids motivated to do their math, Tia suggested I give them "Fill the Bucket" slips.  Miquel explained that when they do something that makes me happy, I give them a slip, they fill one out and stick in on the board.  I said, "Yeah, but every DAY I get to see you makes me happy, even when you don't do your work."  He says, "WHY?!"... like I'm totally insane.

Smile Sighting #9

All the doors (with the exception of the front door) at the school are locked at all times.  Usually, somebody puts something in the door during recess to let kids in that need to use the restroom/go to the nurse.  A kid ran up to me today with a stub for a pencil and says, "Here!  I found this in the door!"  Thanks for locking us out kid.  :P

Smile Sighting #8

James got in line to go inside from recess today.  He also got OUT of line, much like he does every day.  He nabbed one of the big plastic tubs we keep sandbox toys in, crawled underneath it and hid.  I lifted it and told him he had to line up.  I asked him if he would hold my hand when we got in line.  He agreed.  We walked over to the back of the line (about 10 feet away) holding hands the whole way.  Another kid runs over to hold my other hand.  When I looked back over at James (who is STILL holding my hand), he is now standing inside the same tub we just walked away from.  All I said was, "Wah?  How did you... ?" I couldn't even be mad... it was amazing.  He's the new Copperfield!

Smile Sighting #7

It was super windy and cold at recess today.  A hoard of girls discovered that huddling together in one particular corner reduced the unpleasantness.  A boy come trotting over and decided to get in on the action. He starts to put on a over sized hoodie (seriously, it was big enough to fit two of ME in there).  He says, "Hey ladies!  Anybody want to get in here with me?"  All of the girls reply, "NOOOO!" followed by some "Ewww!"  Nice try, bud.

Smile Sighting #6

One boy asks another to go play on the monkey bars.  He replies, "I can't.  I got a flu shot today and this arm is sleepy!"

Smile Sighting #5

I had to grab the tether ball from James today because he wouldn't line up to go inside.  I reminded him and he said, "You're wack!"  I said, "What?!" (while laughing a bit)... he paused and said, "I said you're RIGHT!  Let's go!"

Smile Sighting #4

I gave a kid a push on the swing today to get him started. When I pulled him back, he farted... ON me. I said out loud, "Nice, Ricky." Girl on one side said, "What? What did he do?" Boy on the other side said, "Ricky farted." And that was all.

Smile Sighting #3

Kid refers to somebody's pitch (during dodgeball) as "Smooth as putting carmel on a carmel apple." I said, "So, there is double carmel on the apple?" He looked at me like I was crazy and walked away.

Smiles Sighting #3

Girl asks me to "play with her" at recess. I ask what she wants to do. She opens her tiny hands and I see 5 orange seeds (presumably from lunch). She want to plant them so we can have orange trees on the playground. So, we did.

Smile Sighting #2

James lining up to go inside WITHOUT cutting. Too bad he was in the wrong line. :P

Smile Sighting #1

My recess buddy, James, accidentally grabbed my boob when trying to tickle me back today. I informed Josh, my husband, and assured him he had nothing to be jealous about. :) However, Josh reminded me that trying to tickle me WITHOUT an accidental boob grab is quite difficult. Darn genes.