Is that private?

If you're wondering about the title and how appropriate the upcoming anecdotes might be, you're on the right track. Hopefully you've been keeping up with things and are familiar with my student named Victor. He is a special kid...in my heart and in spirit. So the story begins...

We were in the hallway. I was talking about hallway expectations (silence and standing in a line) when Victor started on his questioning rampage. I answered the first few and then when he went to hug me...this is something he likes to do to teachers--hug all of a sudden (kind of like pouncing on his prey). We're working on "personal space" and how that is not okay. He continues to hug randomly. And when I say hug, I mean wrap his arms completely around you and squeeze a little. I have to pry him off sometimes, as I see my aid doing as well. Well, our hugging and questioning session needed to stop because we needed to follow those hallway expectations. This is when his questioning took a turn for the worst. Please remember that Victor is one of those students who must have his questions answered. It's part of his charm and will not settle until he has all the answers he wants.

V: "Is there okay to touch?" (point at one of my breasts)
Me: "No, that's personal space. It is not okay for you to touch."
V: "Is that personal space?" (pointing to the other breast)
Me: "Yes, it is also personal space and not okay to touch."
V: "Is that private?" (point to the original breast)
Me: "Yes! It is part of my body that you may not touch. It is inappropriate to touch people in their privates or anywhere they think is personal space."
V: "Is that private?" (pointing to the other breast)
Me: "Yes, that is also private. I need you to get back in line. This is my space and you may not violate it."
V: "Is that private?" (pointing somewhere else...just think about it)
Me: "Yes, it is very private."
V: "Why are they called our privates?"
Me: "Because they are only for us. We don't show or touch our friends there."
V: "What happens if I touch you there?"
Me: "I WRITE YOU UP!"
V: "What do you mean?"
Me: "I mean I will write you a referral and you will go to the principal's office. That is not okay at all. It's not okay for teachers or your friends."
V: "What happens when you get a referral?"
Me: "You are aware of what happens. I need you to return to line. We can talk about this later if you would like."

I never thought I would have to have this conversation with a 4th grader, because they are usually aware of these things by now, but...Victor doesn't fit into the mold of the other 4th graders. If I hadn't had this conversation with him, he might have gone around touching and asking other people if their parts were private and in their personal space. It's never a boring day when Victor is in class.

Just get on the frog bus!!!

The two students I'm writing about today have both been the focus of previous blogs.

I was so worn out yesterday, I didn't get a chance to write about my conversation with Victor. This week he's been obsessing over glasses and why people wear them. A few days ago, we walked by a teacher who he knew from last year. She no longer wears glasses and he noticed. He questioned her about her glasses and why she no longer wears them. He found out that she had lasik on July 25th (a date she made up because he needed to know a date). Well...I wear glasses also. I don't need to wear them all day, but it makes my life easier and I don't have to strain to see children across the classroom. He informed me yesterday that I need eye surgery so that I won't have to wear glasses anymore. I said that I don't need surgery...
V: "Yes you do!"
Me: "No, I don't have to wear my glasses. I could go all day without them."
V: "You need to get eye surgery. It's just your eyes. You go to the doctor and get surgery."
Me: "I don't like surgery."
V: "It's okay. It's just your eyes, no where else."
Me: "I don't want to."
V: "You should!!!"
Me: "Okay, Victor...I'll ask my doctor about getting lasik."
V: "Good!" And he immediately returned to work. By the way, I'm not looking into getting lasik.
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My next encounter was with the student I was referring to in yesterday's blog. He is a child that seems to have difficulty with processing information. I know he is capable of completely his work successfully, but I don't know if he's capable of doing it without asking me, "Is this good?"
I digress and move onto today's bus situation. Today was the first day that Richard rode the bus to school and was riding it home. I asked him what bus he needed to get on and he told me the frog bus (each of our buses is labeled with an animal). This is the conversation that ensued (and yes he does start every sentences with 'so'):
R: "How do I know which bus is the frog bus?"
Me: "The one with the frog picture in the window."
R: "Is the picture in the front window?"
Me: "No, it's in the window next to the doors."
R: "So, like the front window?"
Me: "No, the window to the left of the doors that open up."
R: "So, when the doors open up in the front?"
Me: "No. When the doors open up, the picture will be to the left of the doors in the first window."
R: "How do I know it's the frog bus?"
Me: "It has the picture in the window! Who else rides the frog bus that can be sure Richard makes it on the bus today?" (I find him a partner at this point knowing that there is a chance he could get lost.)
R: "Do I get on the bus?"
Me: "Yes, if you stand outside the bus, you will be standing there when it leaves."
R: "But where do I wait for my little brother?"
Me: "On the bus!"
R: "But how will he find the frog bus?"
Me: "The same way you are going to find it...with a friend and looking at the picture."
R: "So, where do I go for the bus?"
Me: "You follow the bus line and your buddy."
R: "Okay, so I find the bus with the frog?"
Me: "Yes. Caitlyn, can you please make sure Richard makes it on the bus? Ms. L (another teacher), can you please make sure this student who might look lost and ask a zillion questions finds the FROG BUS! Just make sure he gets on the FROG BUS! Don't let him wait around. Just make sure whatever you do, he's on the FROG bus when they leave."

I, in no way, exaggerated this conversation. Unfortunately, almost every conversation with Richard is similar to this. I might run out of blog space if I continue to write our entire conversations. Hopefully this is just part of his being new to our school, but I have an uneasy feeling that it's not going to wear off any time soon!

Never Leave a Rolling Chair Unattended

YAY...it's finally Friday! It was a good week and we accomplished a lot. I also learned a bit more about the abilities of my students. And along with all of that bizness, I have also gained some great stories...Let's start with the odd balls...I mean unique students in my class. I truly don't mean odd balls, but rather, children who are out of the ordinary model students.

This student who I will call Kevin is a very capable child. He is on grade level in every area. This child has one thing going against him. His body and mind are unable to concentrate on anything he does (also known as a form of ADHD). I am constantly redirecting this child back to work. He NEEDS me to stand around him in order to get him back on task the moment he is off task. I understand that children need a bit of down time and that is not what I'm referring to, but it is more of the kid tying himself in his chair with his jacket instead of working. He is also the child who lays out his jacket on the ground during dismissal in a very meticulous manner in order to sit down for 2 minutes before the line heads home.
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Victor is another story. Literally, another story...
He is the student I have with special needs. Today he did a few humorous things, which is a usual day for him. He has a great personality, is very entertaining, and is really a joy to have in class (regardless of the extra attention he requires). Today as I was helping him write and turned around to help other students. When I returned to his desk, he was holding the sharp end of his pencil in his ear. I took the pencil out and he immediately began apologizing. I explained that it's not safe to put pencils in your ear because you could poke things out in there.
"What could I poke out?"
"The inside of your ear."
"Where's that?" And he continued on. He also began saying that his ear at first didn't hurt after poking it and then he see-sawed back and forth about whether or not it hurt. He also then tried grabbing my finger and putting it in his ear. I had to inform him that, "My finger does not go in your ear."
This all may sound a bit odd to you, but this is the usual day in the life of Victor. In the life of Victor today, I also left my rolling/spinning chair unattended near his desk. When I returned after helping other kids, he was sitting in it and spinning around. It was funny, because I know none of the other kids in my class would have tried that (at this point in the year).
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"Ms. L, my mom said I will probably have to get braces when I'm older. Do you think I'll look cute with braces?" Of course I responded she would. She would actually look cute wearing or doing anything. She is a miniature 4th grader. She is much smaller than most of the other kids, but what she lacks in size, she makes up for with courage.

I love each and every one of my kids (at this point). They are each unique and wonderful and great students. They have exceeded my expectation with what I was hoping for this year and I go home happy and knowing that I've met my goals for the day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

Teacher Must Have: Flexibility

I walked into my room today and got a glimpse of what hell might feel like. My portable mate had arrived a few minutes earlier and informed me that my although the AC had been on, it was making a very loud and dreadful noise and it was also blowing hot air. She turned off the AC and it continued to blow hot air for quite some time. This was a fantastic start to the beginning of the week.

I don't do heat well (surprising since I live in Texas), and it was showing this morning. I was unable to collect my thoughts and my materials for that day because he heat was affecting the blood flow to my brain. This continued all morning. I knew what I had to do that day because I had planned it yesterday, but it was hard to concentrate on particular tasks and what was next. As the kids were working, many of them were fanning themselves with their folders while I was walking around wiping sweat off of my face, neck, and anywhere else that is appropriate to mention. The concentration of my kiddos was now beginning to fade. I decided we needed a morning break from the heat wave. While on our break, I noticed an empty computer lab with a very large carpet, one that would be perfect for our next lesson. We went back to class to collect our materials only to turn back around and head for the air conditioned room.

I have yet to mention how wonderful and patient my class was during this time. Even though they were miserable and sweating, they stayed cooperative with our situation. (If this had happened with last year's group of kids, we would not have been able to work through their complaining.) After we did a lesson in the computer lab, we had to return to our room with the hopes that the AC was fixed...which it was not. So again, we headed outside with our next materials in hand. We enjoyed a nice read aloud in the shade outside on a beautiful day before specials. Fortunately, the AC was repaired before they returned from specials, but it was disappointing that the room was still warm because it didn't have time to cool off. So...

My portable mate and I planned a last minute lesson that we could do a group activity and avoid my still sauna-like portable. I can say that this was the last time we had to avoid my classroom today, but am thankful for my students' flexibility (even children who rely on routines). It was a rough start to the day and am hopeful that I arrive to a frozen room tomorrow.