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Thursday, my contacts were bothering me, so I wore my glasses to school. It was the first time this year the students had seen me in glasses, and it always causes a bit of a rustle when a teacher(heaven forbid) changes.
In the middle of a lesson on place value, one of the students raised her hand. Thinking that I might be getting one out of the five non-bathroom/drink/Friday-dance-related questions of the day, I called on the student.
Me: "Yes, Student?"
Student: "Mrs. O'Brien, you remind me of someone with your glasses on. Someone in the movies."
(Inner thoughts: "Uh oh.")
Student: "Yeah, but I can't think of the name. It's a man."
Me: "Oh, great!"
(Class in uproar.)
The next day, the same student called me the wrong name by accident:
Student: "Excuse me, Mrs. Puffs?" (Driving teacher on SpongeBob-you have to see her to appreciate it.)
(Class in uproar #2. One student in particular is laughing so hard she had to take a break. I could not stop giggling for the next five minutes. But it gets worse.)
Later in the day, the student in question approached me, as I was writing the jobs on the chalkboard:
"Mrs. O'Brien, I remember who you remind me of!
It's that actor who plays Santa Claus in The Santa Clause movie!"
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That's funny. I've been sick for the last couple days, so I've been wearing glasses too. This is my first year teaching little kids, so I wasn't prepared for the uproar it would cause. I guess it is rather shocking for a bunch of 5 year olds to experience change. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Besides the good Sunday-morning laugh, I'd also like to say that I'm glad you're back teaching. I thought you were, but this is the first official confirmation of it I remember seeing.
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Actually, KQ, I am planning on dressing up as Mrs. Puffs dressing up as Santa Claus for Halloween, and any suggestions for how to do this would be appreciated!
Thank you Dags. It is really, really great to be back. In fact, I have found myself avoiding the teacher's room, and eating lunch in my classroom more often, because the sound of the bitching just gets on my nerves. I really love what I do, and moments like the Mr. Puffs Moment is what keeps me coming back.
Tom, I laughed very hard when I read your comment!
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Kids are funny like that. I volunteered at a yeshiva 1 day/week last year. I never remembered what I wore the last time. But the kids sure did, and reminded me if I wore the same thing two days in a row.
Posts: 289 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I remember the year I actually started wearing glasses (can't wear contacts). It certainly was an uproar. Thankfully I had a good bunch of kids that year.
I have the reaction when I get a haircut. I have very short hair and I let it get pretty shaggy between cuts (a la Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail) and I always get the, "Did you get a haircut?" comment along with a disgusted grimmace. Sometimes I say, "No, what makes you say that?" but more often I teach them that when a lady gets a haircut what she wants to hear is, "I like your hair!" even if you DON'T like it. So then I get the sacrastic version of that! Ugh! Posts: 1319 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:I have found myself avoiding the teacher's room, and eating lunch in my classroom more often, because the sound of the bitching just gets on my nerves.
Oh, and I feel exactly the same way. By the end of the year, I have a bunch of kids who want to hang out in my room with me during lunch. Much more fulfilling that the negativity in the lounge.
Posts: 1319 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Storm Saxon, it was not a mean thing, really! The student in question is not the porch's brightest bulb, and is also very immature. (this is fifth grade) She is just a kid saying the things in her mind out loud, at inappropriate times.
Now, if it was eighth grade, I might have felt set up and made fun of. In this case, I was making fun of myself as well.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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SS, when I respond to a raised hand, I usually ask "Is this a math question?" and most hands go down. So I set myself up. But I can't do that EVERY time. Ha ha.
The sub who took over for me last year was a recently retired high school honors math teacher. Until she figured out that a raised hand could mean anything, she got questions such as:
"Is that your real hair?"
"Do you have any great-grandchildren?"(she was only about 55)
Many others.
Most of the time, I just call on kids. It is an art form, really, and I am still in the early stages. Some teachers use popsicle sticks. I like this idea, except I have four classes coming in and out all day, and I have not found a good way for this to work. I am not big on calling on the person just to prove they are not listening. Those are usually students who are having a tough time anyway.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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