Just a little bit "special"
My youngest students are 7th graders. I assumed that by not teaching elementary school, I was spared having to ever tell children not to eat glue.
It's best to not assume things.
One of my 7th grade classes this year is significantly more, um, special than the other. As usual, the majority of 7th graders are quite cute and amusing. A few, though, are just...odd. Last week they were working on a project that required some cutting and pasting. I've learned to keep an eye on them ever since I caught one kid eating stickers a few weeks ago.
My good friend Mindi also teaches middle school, and she said she had a kid lick a scratch-and-sniff sticker to see if it tasted like it smelled. For the record, it did not. "Normal, productive citizens of society generally do not consume anything including adhesive material," she told him.
Indeed they do not. At one point I looked over and my little sticker eater was munching happily away on a glue stick. When this kid isn't eating things not intended for human consumption, he can usually be found with one or both index fingers firmly implanted into his nostrils. For him, nose picking is an art form. This time, however, since he was busy ingesting paste, the nose picking was left to an apprentice who was thoughtfully digging in one nostril with a gluey finger. A few desks over, yet a third child was busily styling his hair with glue stick.
"Boys, we don't put glue in our hair, up our noses or in our mouths," I said as patiently as I could.
Katie teaches these same kids for science. Every year, at the beginning of the year when she's going over lab rules and regulations, she goes over how it's not a good idea for one to put random things in the science lab in one's mouth. Usually this elicits a good giggle from the class because, well, normal people don't eat things they find in science labs. This year she gave the speech and trailed off as she noticed my little glue-eating nose picker licking a random substance on the table. He also ingested a mouthful of baking soda during their first lab experiment, which frustrated Katie but made her thankful the 7th graders' labs consist of simple, nontoxic materials.
Still.
One of these days that kid's going to crap a science fair project.
It's best to not assume things.
One of my 7th grade classes this year is significantly more, um, special than the other. As usual, the majority of 7th graders are quite cute and amusing. A few, though, are just...odd. Last week they were working on a project that required some cutting and pasting. I've learned to keep an eye on them ever since I caught one kid eating stickers a few weeks ago.
My good friend Mindi also teaches middle school, and she said she had a kid lick a scratch-and-sniff sticker to see if it tasted like it smelled. For the record, it did not. "Normal, productive citizens of society generally do not consume anything including adhesive material," she told him.
Indeed they do not. At one point I looked over and my little sticker eater was munching happily away on a glue stick. When this kid isn't eating things not intended for human consumption, he can usually be found with one or both index fingers firmly implanted into his nostrils. For him, nose picking is an art form. This time, however, since he was busy ingesting paste, the nose picking was left to an apprentice who was thoughtfully digging in one nostril with a gluey finger. A few desks over, yet a third child was busily styling his hair with glue stick.
"Boys, we don't put glue in our hair, up our noses or in our mouths," I said as patiently as I could.
Katie teaches these same kids for science. Every year, at the beginning of the year when she's going over lab rules and regulations, she goes over how it's not a good idea for one to put random things in the science lab in one's mouth. Usually this elicits a good giggle from the class because, well, normal people don't eat things they find in science labs. This year she gave the speech and trailed off as she noticed my little glue-eating nose picker licking a random substance on the table. He also ingested a mouthful of baking soda during their first lab experiment, which frustrated Katie but made her thankful the 7th graders' labs consist of simple, nontoxic materials.
Still.
One of these days that kid's going to crap a science fair project.
posted by Erin @ 12:54 AM
2 Comments:
At Monday, February 12, 2007 11:32:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Hey Erin-
Yes it is scary to imagine a career change 5 years out of college. I am almost 10 years into schooling and considering something new as well...Dog walker sounds fun - I'm hoping it pays at least $40 K.
These 7th graders sound like my college students...
Andy
At Monday, February 12, 2007 4:38:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
With high school students I have had to utter the phrase "Give Constance her shoe back." A friend had to tell someone to "get his finger out of that hole." Fortunately, that last one was more innocent than it probably sounds. Kids don't really change that much with age.
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