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Vocabulary

I'm really tired, but I didn't write on Sunday like I normally do, so I thought I'd write quick tonight.

I enjoy teaching my class new words, especially to catch their attention during a chaotic moment. Today when a few kids were still packing up to go home and the rest of the us were on the carpet, one of the boys at his cubby dropped his lunchbox and said, "Oh! It fell!" Then one of the boys on the carpet for some reason thought the other kid was talking to him and jumped up and yelled, "DON'T CALL ME A FAILURE!" So I taught the class the word paranoid. But this one kid is really, really paranoid. I try to find a balance between being sensitive about it and telling him it's actually crazy that he'd think some of the things he does.

In addition to a paranoid child, I have a child with really, really low self-esteem who continues to be a challenge to me. At the beginning of the year he did have some behavior problems. But he doesn't really anymore. But unfortunately, he still thinks he does. Yesterday he had had a really great morning, but when we were walking back from the park, he starting stomping and pulling on his partner's hand and being grumpy. When I asked him why he was mad, he said it was because he might get in trouble at after-care. Yikes. And sometimes I get so frustrated because it's next-to impossible to reason with a five year-old. They don't really understand. But that doesn't stop me from trying.

The teachers haven't had a day off of school since Labor Day. (We had an inservice day since then and went to a conference for two days). Needless to say, we are all very ready for Thanksgiving break.

Comments

Unknown said…
This reminds me of a last month when I was trying to see which students in my PreK class knew their last names.
I was calling for a student by the last name of Bender to get ready for the bus line. However, a different student with the first name Ben kept standing up and walking over. He was positive that he is the only BEN in the whole place. Believe me I tried to clap, tap, count the syllables in Bender but this kid Ben would not stop! He kept yelling but I am Ben any time I called for Bender.

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