Today in My Classroom Nov 1

Today I washed my hair.

Today one of my students came up to me and started to smell my hair. She exclaimed with a thrill that my hair was a smell she really liked. After making her statement she again buried her nose in my hair and started breathing in deeply. Almost as soon as she started to sniff my locks, a great, juicy cough came out of her mouth and right in my hair. “Hack! Hack!!!”  

I guess I’ll be washing my hair sooner than I expected.

Today was another day of school.

Today I did not think I could muster up enough energy to last the whole day.

Today the Lord provided.

Today my two Japanese boys were particularly inattentive to the lesson I was teaching. I made them stay on the carpet while everyone else was allowed to stand up and change their shoes for recess. When they were left all alone I explained why they were the last ones. I then released them to go. 

One of the boys sprang up and put his water bottle on his desk. Fatigue was hitting me and I began to rub my eyes. The same boy bounded over to me, touched me on the shoulder, and moved in to plant a kiss on my cheek. I chuckled. So sweet. “Go to recess, you hoodlum!”

Yesterday we had an author visit our classroom (school) from the States.

Today we talked about yesterday’s author visit, Mo Willems’ great works, and tried to refresh the idea that they are real authors too.

After the discussion, I sent them to write their masterpieces.  During the work time, one of my students came up to me to show me her piece. “I am THE author,” she declared.

YES! I took a picture of her with her work. She was proud – and actually smiled rather than doing a crazy face – as is her MO.

Today one student made this request, “Can you, Oliver, and me just go outside and play chase while everyone else stays inside?”

Today I nearly worked my students to the bone. Tomorrow we have “class assembly” during which time the parents come and we present what we have been learning to them as well as to the rest of the ECC We will be performing a play about autumn leaves, “1, 2, Buckle My Shoe” to showcase their rhyming skills, and a 1 act play about the first half of Joseph’s life.

While we were practicing the part about Joseph’s life, I had one student with drooping eyes fall off the “stage” and then explain, “I was falling asleep!”

Today my other Japanese student who understands few words in English raised his hand to speak during our end of the day sticker-giving time. I called on him, interested in what he was going to say. 

“One sticker, everybody?” 

HAHAHA! 

He may not know much English yet, but he knows which words are high priority to learn.