Dear Diary

One of my students came to me the other day expressing some concern about her lost diary. She told me who her friends said had it and then it was up to me to track the missing book down. And so I did. I talked to the kid and he openly admitted having it. He didn't bring it back when he was supposed to, but it did come back the following day. While I was waiting for the diary to be returned, the girl in my class seemed very concerned because she was told that people had been reading it.

I began to think...what did I write in my diary as a 4th grader? Probably something like:
"I have the biggest crush on ________ (I can't remember his name.). Today he loaned me his pencil. It was so nice. He was wearing a really cute blue shirt today. He is sooooo cute."

Remembering this, I thought of what trouble or heartbreak would come when the other kids found out who her crush was. I would love to say that I didn't look at the diary when it was returned, but I would be lying. I had to look. I needed to make sure that the item she was bringing to school, losing, and other kids were reading was appropriate. And, I wanted to know what 4th graders write in their diaries about. This is a very mature student and in 4th grade, mature usually means one thing. (Which I will not say.) Anyway, I open to her diary (not even the kind with lock and key) to find her crush's name written very large on the first page.
Diary Lesson #1 - Don't write your crush's name on the very first page. If someone finds diary, where will they read first?

I know this is terrible, but the first thing I think is, "She can do so much better!" But, she really likes him. "He gave her some hot Cheetos at lunch and it was so cute." He even "blew on her neck and she liked it." Although "he is shorter than her, she wishes she were much shorter so that it wouldn't be so weird."

Regardless of anything else she said, the one thing I cannot get over is her choice of a crush, William. If you are unfamiliar with my current students, please refer to blog titled, My cup runeth over...with tears. You could also check out the updates on the bottom of every blog since.

I hope my 4th grade diary-worthy crushes were better than her's.