My Poor Ego

Last week, as you know, marked our 100^th day of school and, of course, we had to write about it!  It went down like this:

Me (in my most enthusiastic voice):    “Boys and girls, today we will be writing about what we’ve learned in First Grade now that we’ve been in school for 100 days!  Wow!  Won’t that be fun?!”

Student (in his best ho-hum voice):  “Well, Mrs. J., you see, I don’t really know what I’m going to write about because, well, I haven’t really learned anything in First Grade.  You see, everything I know, well, I knew it coming in to First Grade, so I really have nothing to write about…you see, you haven’t really taught me anything.”

Thanks, kid!  Would you like to insert the knife in my heart before or after you trample all over my ego? 

Luckily I’m quick on my feet in situations like this (good grief, I have to be) and I was able to point out a couple of things that my dear, sweet, Mr. Know It All has, in fact, really and truly, whether he wants to believe it or not, learned right here in First Grade…with me!  

So that was last week…then today this happened:

The students were reading their journals to me and one boy had written about how Calendar is his “third favorite part of the day.”  Of course, I then had to ask him what is first favorite part of the day is.

Me:  “So, what’s your first favorite part of the day?”

Him:  “Recess.”  (Duh!  How could I have even asked that?)

Me:  “Okay, then, what’s your second favorite part of the day?” 

Him:  “Lunch.”  (Duh, again!) 

For me though, in case you're wondering (and I know you are) lunch would definitely trump recess, probably because I loathe yard duty and I love food!

He then asks if I want to know what his fourth favorite part of the day is.  I just know he’s going to say something like, “Going home,” but I’m hopeful that there will at least be something else in his top favorite parts of the day that will include me, his most beloved teacher.  I hold my breath, await his response, and am completely relived when he says, “Centers.”  Whew!  I wasn’t sure my ego could take another blow like the one it suffered last week.

It totally cracks me up how some kids are like, Oh, teacher, you’re so pretty.  Oh, teacher, I love you so much.  Oh teacher, how high can I jump for you?  And other kids are like, Who the heck are you?  Why do you keep giving me all this work?  Would you please just get out of the way already so I can go to recess?

Never a dull moment, people, never a dull moment!