Some Laughs to End the School Year

This week is the last week of the Guadalupe afterschool program.  I think back to my first day as a “teacher.”  I was about as inexperienced as they come, I had no idea where my classroom was, and I was making up a discipline system on the fly.  Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I have made it this far. Last week one of my students asked when the last day of afterschool was.  I told him that it was next Friday.  I expected his reaction to be that of excitement and relief.  The prison with all the rules and the people who make you do your homework would be exchanged for home with television, videogames, and toys.  That was not the case.  Miguel proceeded to be sad and say that he never wanted to leave afterschool. Cue 18 kindergarteners moaning because they don’t want the afterschool program to end either.  I didn’t realize how much fun we were having and then I think about the year.  It’s not a prison.  It’s a positive environment filled with games, art projects, people who help you with your homework, and recess.  So to give you a taste of what I got to do every day here are some examples of funny things that my kindergarteners have said and done this past year:

1) Damon after I explained how I hurt myself playing basketball: "Miss Barbara I play football, but no one tackles me.  I just score touchdowns."
2) Gabriel: "Miss Barbara, does your eye hurt?"  I replied yes.  "Then can I poke it?"  I replied no. (I had stitches at the time)
3) Eduardo: "I bought cheetos today for me and my brother."  Then he comes in real close and whispers, "The hot ones."
4) Justin: "Miss Barbara, did you know that you can never put up your middle finger at someone?"  (apparently that was a problem in the classroom that day)
5) Eduardo after I gave him his snack (a smuckers uncrustable pb and j):  " I don't want it.  The last time I had one I threw up." (this kid might be on to something)
6) We made bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. When we were outside hanging them up in trees Alisia took a big bite out of hers.  I really hope she got mostly peanut butter in that bite.
7)Victor looking really confused when I told him that roosters didn't lay eggs because they were all boys (yes, there are roosters in our schoolyard).

8) Maria: “Miss Barbara did you know that wearing high heels makes you tired.  My sister wears them and she has to take naps. She comes home and says that she has to lay down because her shoes make her tired.” (good thing I prefer flip-flops and running shoes)

9) Jonathan: “Can I go to the bathroom to have a fart.”  (The answer was “of course.”  That boy has such consideration for the rest of the class).

10) Gabriel: “Why doesn’t my head fit in here?” he asked this as he was trying to put his head inside of the Ziploc bag we keep the crayons in.

11) Maria: “I left that one at home because I don’t like zippers.”  This was her answer to why she had a grocery bag instead of her usual bookbag.

12) I yelled at Carmen for dragging Jose into the bathroom.  Her response was, “But he left pee on the seat.”  (Future roommates should be warned about this)

13) Alex: “My uncle watches cuss word movies.  Those are the bad ones.

14) Justin’s answer to every question during story time is “banana.” Usually I have to tell him that it isn’t the answer I’m looking for until the week we read about Curious George.  I purposely asked the question, “What is George eating?”  Banana was the right answer and Justin gave it.
15) 18 kindergarteners playing freeze dance.  They are completely uninhibited in their dance moves and it will always put a smile on your face.

These little snippets might be more entertaining to me because I know the kids they are coming from and half of what makes them funny is their demeanor and expressions.  I hope you can appreciate them on some level.  Just thinking about all the hugs I have received, all the art pictures they have drawn for me, and all of the uncontrollable laughter we have shared brings a smile to my face.  The kids really do make me laugh everyday which is something that I hold on to when it seems like they are not listening to a word I say (which happens more than I would like).  So while I would say that working after school has been my most challenging job placement, it has also been the most rewarding.  Now here’s to hoping we can all handle the summer program!

Peace Out

Love,

Babs

*All student names have been changed.