3rd grade

I like how curious third graders are.  We read a story about the solar system and I loved fielding all their questions.  They didn't understand how the tilting of the earth accounted for seasons, even when I tried to explain.

I had a boy stand in the front and said he was the Sun.  I used the globe and tilted it toward and away from him and they all nodded appreciatively and said, "Ohhh."

I told the boy that if he wanted to be a Sun when he grew up, he had a bright future.

No one appreciated or noticed  my play on words, but sometimes I just do that for my own delight.

One of my English learners randomly brought up "Marktic McFly" who another student dressed as for Halloween.

"What is this Marktic McFly?" he asked curiously.  I thought it was remarkable that he remembered the name.  

I explained it was Marty McFly and he was from a movie called, Back to the Future.

He said, "And this Marktic McFly is good?"

I said, "Yes, it's a good movie.  The movie is Back the Future."  I told him maybe it was on Netflix.  What I love is that this boy has an insatiable thirst for English.  He is constantly asking me what things mean and what something is called.

Curiosity may kills cats, but it gives me purpose.  Answer all the questions.  That is my quest.

Yesterday I wore my bright red boots to school.  They are the ones the second grade teachers said reminded them of Lily's Purple Purse.

I will take it.

My girls said, "I like your boots."

One of them said, "They are fire."

It went straight to my head.  Imagine me with that same expression as Lily.  Red boots are cheering and that is all.

A few days ago we started our advent calendar.  It takes so much explaining.  It isn't days until Christmas, it is days until Christmas break.  Discuss, discuss, discuss.  I would still be there answering questions if I hadn't cut it off.

I bought a mini brand advent calendar with 24 mini brands and then some more besides.  They can trade in their mini brand if they don't like it, but only on the same day.  So much clarification.  They all had a "but what if..." scenario.

I think I got everyone on the same page and they are thrilled.  It is exciting and they all crowd around and ooh and aaah when someone has opened one.  They keep asking if everyone gets one.  Yes, you do.

I like teaching the least entitled kids in America.

The Rotary Club gave them dictionaries.  They can keep them forever and take them home.

So exciting!

They looked up things and excitedly told each other the page.

Yesterday after school, one of my students and his three brothers knocked on my door.  I had both older brothers and they are easily among my very favorite students.  The two older brothers were very concerned about the dictionary.  Their parents don't speak English and they are the emissaries for the family.  "He brought this big book home..."

I said it was his and he could keep it.  They looked relieved, all four of them.  I said, "Didn't you guys get dictionaries when you were in third grade?"  It seems like we've done it most years.  They said no.  So I said they could all share it.  They went away happy.

Speaking of dictionaries, my students discovered the American Sign Language signs for every letter and number in the back of the dictionary.  They all quickly learned how to sign 6 and 7.  

It is infinitely less annoying than them saying it all the time.