We are not in Kansas anymore Toto!

So today was quite the interesting day. I became a cougar again and entered the sixth grade classroom at Copperview elementary. This is going to be unlike any other experience that I have had. There are 25 students in the class and of those 25, 6 are white. I found myself drawn to the one student who is white and acts like it. He was my outlet among the unfamiliar.

My mentor teacher got called racist today and some of the kids were threatening to kill other kids out on the playground. The school has a squad of men that will come and escort a student out of your class if they refuse to go, which apparently happens a lot.

The class made it very clear that they are not going to give me special treatment because I am a student teacher. The students in the class lie and some of them steal. I guess you can say that I have entered the real world.

All I can say now is...hello world, my name is Ms. Jones!

My most prized possessions!

So I am reading Harry Potter again right now and in it there is a remembrall. This holds all of Neville Longbottom's memories in it. I decided yesterday that I want one.

I came home from school yesterday overwhelmed with different emotions. I had cried saying goodbye to some really great kids. I had watched one of my best friends come and read to those really great kids and be able to see how great they are. I had parents telling me how their kids have been crying all week at the thought of saying goodbye to me and I received some priceless gifts.

Obviously, I can't keep every card or paper house that was given to me...yes, I was given a paper house, but I can keep my memories. Suprisingly in my life, these have become my most prized possessions.

Ms. Watts had the class make me a book for my present and it has a picture of me and the kids on the front cover and inside they have each written me a note. I sat reading that book in bed last night, with tears in my eyes, thinking, this is definitely one of my most prized possessions. It proved to me that I made a difference in someone's life! What a great treasure!

I will miss my 3rd graders, but I am ready to try to make a difference in the life of one of the 6th graders now!

Are you listening boys?

So today all the kids asked me who my valentine is and of course I said no one. One of the girls named Savanah turned to me and said, "I don't understand why you are single Ms. Jones...you are so pretty!"

Did you hear that boys? That is reason enough for me not to be single! I love these kids and what they do to my self esteem!

Teaching in Utah!

So teaching in Utah, you hear things that you won't hear everywhere else. For example when we studied Martin Luther King Jr and wrote about our dreams, one of the kids wrote about his dream to live with his mom and dad and Heavenly Father forever.

So everyday they come on the intercomm and tell us whether it is inside day or outside day. Yesterday morning it was outside day until, right before lunch, the weather took a turn for the worst so the principal came on and announced the inside day by saying that mother nature had changed her mind. I then heard this conversation.
Griffin: Who is mother nature?
Dalton: She is in charge of the weather.
Aimee: No, I know who is in charge of the weather...Heavenly Father.
Dalton: Okay so mother nature is the woman that Heavenly Father hired to take care of the weather.

Also yesterday one of the students told Karsten he had to go to the office, so he hung his head low and said, "To the office I go. Tell my mom I love her!"

This week we are doing a poetry unit and so each day we learn a new type of poem and we write a class one. Someone suggested that our poem today be about Hannah Montana.
Parker quickly stood up and said, "No, Hannah Montana is brainwashing the minds of kids across America!" I wonder who he heard that from!

My favorite of the day was at lunch. I have started eating with the students and today I had left over split pea soup from the night before so I heated it up and then brought it in to eat. Very matter of factly, Ethan turned to me and said, "Ms. Jones, your lunch looks like sewer water with carrots in it." I lost my appetite a little after that.

I also made the mistake of telling the kids that I put funny quotes on my blog sometimes so now they will say something and then turn to me and say, "Ms. Jones, you should put that on your blog." So keep reading if you are entertained by these funny ones.

In two weeks I will be in the 6th grade and it will be a whole other ball game of jokes. I am excited!

Will You Be My Valentine?

So today at the end of the day, we were sitting on the carpet reading poems for our poetry unit when the boys started giggling. Now the boys never giggle so I knew something was up. So I asked Colton if he had something he would like to share with the whole class. This is the conversation that followed...
Colton: Ms. Jones, what are you supposed to say when a girl asks if you will be her Valentine?
Me: Well, yes I guess if you want to be her valentine.
Colton: But what does it mean to be someone's Valentine?
Karsten pipes in: You take her to the mall and buy her something nice!

He was very proud of himself for knowing the answer. All I could do was laugh. Then Gavin came up and said, "Ms. Jones, Roses are red, violets are blue, cookies are sweet, and so are you!"

This is such a fun time of year to be around little kids because their idea of love is so innocent and pure and it brings me to their level and reminds me what a romantic I am! After all, all I want is a boy to take me to the mall and buy me something nice! ;)

Shout out to dad!

So this blog is dedicated to dad since it is about him...This is how the conversation went down this morning.
Keaton: So how old is your dad Ms. Jones?
Me: He is 51 years old.
Keaton: Oh I am sorry...I didn't know your dad was dead!
Me: (laughing) He is not dead! He is very much alive!
Keaton: Oh well does he have all gray hair?
Me: Nope he actually has black hair like Sam's.
Keaton: (to himself) No gray hair huh? (to the class) Hey everybody, listen to this...Ms. Jones' dad is 51 and he is alive and doesn't even have gray hair!
Everyone: Woah! Your dad should come in so we can see him!

Sure love you dad! Hope this makes your day a little brighter because there are 27 8 year olds who think you are pretty great and one 23 year old who agrees with them!

Bane of my existence

So the last title meant to say bane fo my existence not ban...I am sick, give me a break!

The Ban of My Existence!

So the first week that I was in this class, I let slip that I do not like chocolate milk. Now this is a serious crime in Ms. Watt's 3rd grade class. They just aren't having it. So everday since then they have reminded me how good it is. For the past 3 weeks I always have at least one note on my desk that says open me and inside is a picture of chocolate milk. So the other day, I told the kids that for my going away party, we are having a chocolate milk themed party. One kid almost wet himself he was so excited. I have also started eating lunch with them in the cafeteria and they all get chocolate milk for lunch and ask me if I want to try some. I guess I never realized what I was missing out on in my life, but apparently a life without chocolate milk is one of sadness and emptiness.

p.s. Funny conversation of the day...
Karsten: Ms. Jones, who is your best friend?
Me: I have a lot of best friends.
Karsten: (leans over and whispers) You are supposed to say me.
Me: Oh you are my best friend.
Karsten: I knew it! Am I more your best friend than your mom?
Me: Sure
Karsten: Oh my gosh! Walks away smiling

Another funny one...
Sam: Ms. Jones, when you leave our school will you move in with me?
Me: I already live in a house Sam.
Sam: I could ask my mom and she could let you have the bedroom next to mine.
Me: That is sweet, but I don't think so.
Sam: I will let you stay up late and do whatever you want! You can even have the bathroom to yourself!

They are so cute!

Smiley

So today one of my students looked at me with concern, raised his hand, and asked, "Ms. Jones, why are you always smiling?" I laughed and then it went silent because I didn't know what to say. I have always been a smiler. On my mission some old guy that we taught called me smiley every time I saw him. I guess I just love to smile and I absolutely love to laugh. My brother know this, but just about anything will make me laugh. I think almost anything is funny. I thought about it some more and then told Keaton that I smile a lot because I enjoy teaching his class. That seemed to satisfy his need for an answer...but it didn't quite satisfy mine. I guess it doesn't matter why I smile so much...I just like to do it!