Not only was today incredibly lovely, it also featured my new favorite compliment:
I was walking out of school and one of my previous fifth-grade students was walking ahead of me on the sidewalk. He turned to me and held up his hand for a little high-five, turned to his friend and said "That drama teacher is live. She's grippa live. She's the best drama teacher I've ever had."
In contrast, I had to deal with a seventh grader at the same school last week who reallyreallyreallyreally wanted nothing to do with drama. While all the other kids in the class were writing short scripts about zombie chickens, space monkeys, and haunted lockers, this kid was writing a little story that went like this:
Once there was a drama teacher who was the worst in the world. She didn't even know how to make a glass of water. So all the kids decided to kill her. 'M-80's?' 'Check,' said the checker guy.
And etc. Instead of getting him in a lot of fucking trouble I made him write a story about something he liked. (There's a bigger story here about the conversation we had regarding this, but it kinda makes me sound like an after-school special.) After telling me that he hated everything at school and everything at home he finally revealed something he liked: his PlayStation 2. So his story was about how to use a PS2 and included a little ink drawing of the controllers. It would have been sweet had it not been preceded by the above.
And then there was the five-year-old who was standing on the curb next to me during the rain last Thursday. While huddling closer, his hand hit against my bra. and he immediately flicked the cup of it. When I scowled at him he said "What? You don't want me to touch your booby?"
Friends, I cannot wait until this week is over. Good and bad, I'm burned out on teaching this year and am ready for some Spring Break block party dancing with the 1st and 2nd graders followed by some mid-week Book Club (aka drinking with the other teachers).
Posted by Ida at March 29, 2004 10:49 PMDid you start the conversation by proving to him that you did in fact know how to make a glass of water? 'Cause I would've.
Posted by: flamingbanjo at March 30, 2004 08:52 AM