My kids

With the exception of one class, i have met all my kids at least once by now.  They are so incredibly damn cute!

Today I played an "Alphabet Actions" game/song with them having them expereince the sounds of letters through a TPR movement associated with the letter.  For example, "B" was expressed byt holding their arms over their heads like long ears and hopping up and down, and "F" they sprayed imaginary water out of an imaginary fire hose wile saying "ffffffffff" and so fourth. 

the kids were having so much fun and were trying to sing along and clapping and jumping and dancing and having such a good time.  Even when it was time to assign homework, some were wiggling and dancing in their chairs.

  I love first graders.

however, one of the first grade homeroom teachers asked me what I thought of....her kids...with that tone like there is someone in particular she was concerned about how I'd feel about him. She didn't say in particular, but I knew exactly to whom she was referring...the little "sukebby" boy who keeps poking/patting my butt and pulling my blouse to see underneath. 

I had a boy like that once and i used to get so upset until I learned he was being sexually abused by a relative and thought this was how you expressed love and I felt guilty for being mad at him. I had a girl like that once who was kind of out of line in many ways and it turns out she had really good reasons for her behavior, as socially unacceptable as they were.   Now I realize that some children, because of their home circumstance, simply cannot act like the other kids.  I am much more tolerant of this.

I try to keep my private parts out of "Sukebby"'s reach and don't pay much attention to his antics. Today in class, he was the most enthusiastic player of Alphabet Action.   

I told her," I think I know who you mean, but we get along fine.  All the children had a fantastic time, and they are all really great kids".

She pressed on.  "Do you know who are the smart ones yet?"

 I thought of the boy in her class who, instead of doing his homework (to write "apple" beside the picture of the apple), elaborated on the workbook (by drawing a very cool arrow through the apple).  I assume he is not one of the "smart' kids, because he can't write apple.  but he can draw the coolest arrows.  

Thinking of him, I replied, "ALL the children are very smart, just in different ways".  I would love to conduct a workshop on multiple intelligences for the teachers.  it bothers me that the teachers are asking me if i know who the smart ones are.  yes i know who does their homework.  i know who can make an "A" better than me ( my handwriting is utter crap).  I know who is not too shy to tell me their name and what food they like.  Does that make them smarter? 

--No, not if smart is measured in other ways.

I hope once I build up a bit more rapport I can start to get the teachers to think about that. 

I guess that's my role too.  Beyond phonics and English, if i can get the teachers to start thinking of "smart" in other ways, i will have done far more for the children at this school.

OK, I have taken up my cause.  Two years from now, when a teacher sees a kid draw an arrow through an apple, she will know this child is smart.  In a different way.