Paper, rough play, a proposal, and licking dirt off our fingers...

Today was an interesting day. It started out with one of my students, I shall call him "J", informing me that he can smell through paper. "Ms. Eklund, did you know I can smell through paper?" (you can??) "Yep, I just put the paper up to my nose and smell right through it." haha

Then there came the "rough play" at recess. Four boys decided to play rough with five 2nd grade girls, which involved all five girls going to the nurse for various injuries. Hugging and pushing and shoving. The boys' reactions to getting in trouble? One was mortified, truly repentant - crying hysterically - knowing that he had disappointed not only me, but his parents as well. He even asked for his apology letter back so he could add more detail to it, explaining he knew how upset and disappointed his parents would be in him. (awwwe) One was sort of repentant - knowing it wasn't right, but gave me the "eh, whatever" look. One turned himself in - wasn't implicated at all, but he knew the right thing to do was to admit fault. The last one laughed at me...to my face...and smiled the whole time, even writing his apology letter in the 3rd person. (This was the boy who pushed a girl down and then stomped on her stomach.) Hmmmm....All four boys received the appropriate discipline for their actions.

(Something to ponder? I hope to know these students in 20 years...I really want to know they grow up to become. ;)

Then came the romantic proposal on the playground. Imagine a boy wearing his CTR (Choose the Right) ring, pulling it off his finger, getting down on one knee and proposing to a girl in our class - offering his ring to her. She replied with a polite, "No."

And how did the day end you might ask? Me having to tell a student to quit licking the dirt off his fingers. Seriously. Not joking.

Which leads me into a non-comprehensive list of things I never thought I would have to say in first grade...

1) Please quit chewing on your clothes.

2) Please quit sucking on your shirt.

3) Please quit cutting your pants, shirt, hair, or anything else non paper related.

4) Our hands do NOT go there.

5) Friends, we do NOT eat crayons, glue or lick our desks.

6) It is not ok to stab our friends with pencils.

7) It is not ok to tell your friend you want to have sex with them.

8) It is not ok to hump our chairs and make fake orgasm sounds.

9) You are NOT a werewolf. (yes, I am). No - I promise you, you really aren't.

This last list did NOT happen all today...but it's all happened so far this year :) These are just more reasons I love being a teacher. ;) And how was YOUR day?