Just Mountain Dew...

So I have a little boy who's in 4th grade and functioning on a kindergarten level. Sadly to say he's a lot like his father, nice people just not really all the way there. As we were taking a bathroom break the other day, he was the first one done and waiting in the hall. Out of the blue he mentioned to me, that when he was little his dad gave him coffee and he didn't like it. But when he was a baby his dad gave him beer, and he can't remember what that tasted like. Except when he got older and started talking he stopped giving him beer. Now his dad "just gives him Mountain Dew" and it's his favorite drink in the whole world. Needless to say... I was speechless.

The Poison Apple

So this year for Halloween I decided to dress up as Snow White. I kept it a secret from all of my kids when they asked me what I was going to be. So it was a lot of fun to see their reactions when I picked them up from the bus that morning. All of my little girls were so excited that I was a princess, especially the one who came as Cinderella. It was so cute to see their reaction. Needless to say, the morning was crazy with a parade and playing a few Halloween games. After lunch my kids came in from recess and I was still finishing the last part of my lunch. As I was eating an apple and getting them all settled, one of my little, more verbal, kiddos looked at me with a shocked face and said...

"Mrs. Holden! Have you not seen the movie? Do you not know what an apple will do to you? Why are you eating a poison apple? It will kill you!"

I just had to laugh. What a smart little girl. I was actually really impressed that she made that kind of connection. It took a little while for all of my other kids to realize what she had said and we all had a really good laugh!

Beware of the Flu Season

So we've had quite the start to the "FLU SEASON" around the school. We've had so many teachers and students who've been out sick. There's been more and more kids at my school who've had to stay home, because they are sick with the swine flu and other things. With that in mind, we've also talked a lot to the kids about germs, how they spread and what we can do to prevent ourselves from getting sick. I am becoming more of a germ nazi...especially since I've been sick myself. I have the kids wipe down everything (desks, tables, door handles, drinking fountains and/or anything they've touch) twice a week with Clorax wipes. Also, we have a huge bottle of Germ-X right by the door and they use it each time they enter. Now that you have the background. This story hopefully will make you smile a little more. I was working with one of my 2nd graders on her letter names and sounds. She was drawing a picture for the letter "P". This time the word "pig" popped into her head! She was very content and serious with her pink crayon in hand when we had this little conversation....
S:Pigs are pink
Me: You're right they are pink
S: Pigs can kill you
Me: What do you mean they can kill you? Where did you hear that?
S: Everywhere....Pigs make you so sick that sometimes you can die. I don't want any germs from a pig! Right?

I did everything I could to not burst out in laughter. I guess the kids are learning something even though it's not their ABC's

Saying Goodbye ... Again

With another school year come and gone, I always hate saying goodbye. I've realized over the years that the people you teach with become like "family"...because you spend a lot of time together. Then when the summer months come life changes and you're busy with so many other things that have been put on hold during the school year.

This year, I didn't think that saying goodbye would be too difficult, because I've only been at my school for a year...but it was. There were a few teachers that I'll really miss working with and have really learned a lot from them. Most of my students were darling and I've loved working with them this year. I was sad that I couldn't be their teacher again and see them grow year after year.

I'm really going to miss working with one student in particular..."Jonah" I've mentioned him before. He said some darling things the last few weeks of school that really tore my heart. I just wanted to share a few...

While packing a bunch of boxes and de-junking stuff. Jonah would question why I was throwing stuff away. So I asked him if he wanted anything (He loves to rummage through trash and make "recycled projects") He pulled a few things out of the garbage can and made a one-of-a-kind project. Then he turned to me and said. "Mrs. Holden this is for you! Will you keep it so you won't forget me when you go to your other school?"

Almost everyday for the last two weeks of school he would say "I don't know if I've told you this or not....but I'm really going to miss you next year. If I move to a new school, I want to go to your new school."

I told him to come down to my classroom and say goodbye on the last day of school. He ran into my room the last 20 min of the crazy day and just started pacing the room, just a little of the autism coming out. We chatted a bit about his summer plans and then he turned to me and said...

"Why do you have to go Mrs. Holden? You know when I'm really going to miss someone, I get this big lump in my throat. And it's really big right now." I told him that I'd be checking in on him next year and to remember me when he becomes famous one day"

All I have to say is WOW this little kiddo just needs someone to care about him. I honestly can say I don't think I've given him any more/less attention than any other kiddo I've taught over the years. But somehow he just needed someone to help him show his brilliant mind in different ways. I guess that's my job in a nutshell.

Woogi World

My dear little friend "Jonah" and I have gotten to know each other quite well this past year and I've become his little advocate at this school. He can be quite a handful sometimes, but I seem to have a good rapport with him and he actually works pretty well for me. He has Asperger's Syndrome. Actually there are a few of them at the school that I work with but this one is worth mentioning. What is Asperger's Syndrome? It is an autism spectrum disorder that differs from autism in that the child will be more verbal, and retain more cognitive development than the average autistic child. A good book to read about Asperger's is Look Me In the Eye by John Elder Robison, 2nd ed. So back to my story....

The kiddo I work with really struggles with social skills and doesn't have many friends. However, he is one of the brightest kids I know...I guess that doesn't take much being a resource teacher, but honestly, he can be smarter than me at times. He comes down to my room a few times a day, because he struggles working in big groups. At the same time, I relieve the other teachers so they don't go completely insane.

Well, a week or so ago he had earned some free time because he finished all of his work. I let him get on the computer, because all of my other kids were at an assembly. Poor "Jonah" struggles with those as well...way to many people and too much noise. So I let him hang out in my classroom until it was over. He asked if he could go to his favorite website "WOOGI WORLD" I must be out of the loop. I didn't know what this place was and I asked him to tell me about it and show it to me before I'd let him just go and play. Well, I've never seen him so excited. After a brief explanation it seemed harmless and I let him play he was really quiet for a while then he exclaimed...

"Mrs. Holden I just made you into a Woogi. I've invited you to my Woogi World and now you're a citizen in my place. Can I look at you so I can make your Woogi look just like you?"

Then everyday after that "Jonah" wanted to play on Woogi World after he finished his work. He keeps me updated each day on how many Woogi dollars I've earned and all the virtual things I can buy with them.

I've learned, that it just goes to show that if you take a few minutes to show some interest into what a child is excited about...it can mean a lot to them and go a long way.

Lock Down Drill

Tomorrow we're having a whole bunch of different "drills" and because my kids are a little slower, I thought I'd prepare them a bit by going over the procedures of what to do in each scenario. The Fire and Earthquake drill wasn't too hard to practice. However, when I started to explain what to do in a Lock Down Drill and why we'd have a Lock Down Drill. They started getting a little worried. They asked all sorts of questions about who could come into the school, and why they'd want to come in the school. I tried to put it simple without scaring them and really tried to emphasize how we do these things to keep us safe. I had one little boy raise his hand and ask...

"Mrs. Holden, my dad just got out of prison and he's not supposed to see me and my little sister. So if he came here to get me would, Mr... (our principal) put the school in Lock Down to keep us safe? I'm scared that he'd come after me!"

My heart just broke into pieces. These kiddos have to deal with so much I never even thought about at their age. I can't believe it sometimes. They are such good kids, but sometimes come from not such good backgrounds.

Brain Doctor

This week I went to go get one of my little second graders. As we were walking back to my classroom, I asked his where he was yesterday. I was mostly likely expecting the usual answer when kids are absent "I was sick" But instead I got an earful. He told me that he went to a "Brain Doctor". It took me a minute to really understand what he was saying. I asked him if he had been having headaches thinking this may be the reason. He told me no. By this time we were back to my class, we got started on things. I didn't think much about because, I have kids that tell me all sorts of things that aren't true. But then later, he started talking about this brain doctor again. He said that he was doing okay and wasn't seeing black spots anymore. After he said that, I realized that this was no made up story. I couldn't believe all the things he was telling me about this doctor. I need to call his mom and find out the entire story.

Compound Words

I was walking down to my classroom one day after lunch when I walked by a second grade classroom. I noticed there was a wall that was newly decorated by compound words the children had created. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed "birthday" and I had to wonder what this child had come up with. I thought it was hilarious. Thank goodness for camera phones. Take note of the lady and the baby on the bed.

Growing A Mustache and A Beard

Here's just a small example of some of the funny conversations I have each day with my little kiddos at school.

As we were cleaning up and getting ready to go home, I was reminding them all that they have the joyous 5th Grade Maturation Class tomorrow. One of my little autistic kids, who I sometimes just want to bang my head against the wall with, came up to me. Here's a little snipit of our conversation.

"Johny": Mrs. Holden's is the maturation class the one where we talk about how our body changes?

me: Yep! (Hoping that would be the end of the conversation right there)

"Johny": Oh great! I'm soooo soooo soooo excited! I can't wait to grow a mustache and a beard! I think that would be the coolest thing ever! It's been one of my life long dreams to have a beard/mustache combo and grow some really long sideburns.

As he was talking, I was trying to visualize this small little kid with a mustache, beard, and sideburns and at the same time trying not to laugh. I was just so grateful that the conversation went the way that it did and that it ended at the facial hair. I could probably write a book with all the funny things I've heard over the years. These kids sure make me laugh.