Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful that I love my kids once again, after a bad month of terror. Here they are.

Ashley: She still likes to push me at times, by running around in a circle and then looking up with a laugh. My favourite quote "Teacher, come here please". Did I teach her that? She's finally starting to warm up and seem comfortable around me. And she just learned how to write her name. But she holds her pencil in a fist.

Mindy: The one who was scowly and hated me in July is now a hilarious little happy kid. Except when she is "very, very angry". Why does she get angry? Because she's picky about her stickers. Or she speaks Korean and gets an X. Favourite Mindy quote "Teacher! Me mummy issa Korean mummy." No kidding? Your mommy is Korean? Oh, and also "Very very ouch! (pointing to nothing on her finger) Band! Band! (which means she wants a bandaid).

Yoon: An incredibly sweet little boy who has a very difficult time sitting still in his chair. He and I have a good bond. He cried a lot the other day when he got an x for speaking Korean because he was determined to have zero x's. Sometimes I pretend I don't hear the Korean he speaks. Why? Because he's teacher's pet, teacher's pet. Favourite Yoon quote "Teacher, me much much sad."
Stephanie stays in class these days and rarely cries, which I like. But she also brings many annoying things to school like lipgloss, sunglasses, candy, and other treats that I have to confiscate throughout the day. Favourite, and only, Stephanie quotes: "Nooo!!" In response to "Is Stephanie here today" attendance call. She can also say "May I go to the bathroom please" and she says it regularly.

Molly: Molly is so adorable I just can't take it. Look at that hair. Ha ha. She knows all the answers to all the questions. Lately, though, she freaks out if she hasn't had a turn yet and whines like crazy. "Teacher, me haven't had a turn!" Man, take it easy Molly. Favourite Molly quote "Yaw yaw yaw!"

Elizabeth: She goes through stages but currently she's in a smiley "I love teacher" stage. In the summer and Fall her mother dressed her in these hideous gold and other bad colour dresses. These days she wears jeans and sweatshirts so I feel happier for her, though this dress is not a good example. I have no favourite quote in particular but she tries hard to talk to me and her broken English is endearing.

Elliot: He's still a tough one to figure out, that Elliot. His mother brings him late to school every day which sometimes leaves him teary eyed and lost. Then, a period later he's causing mischief in gym class. He doesn't colour or write these days, but sits there holding a pencil as if he's about to at any minute. Favourite Elliot quote "I'm no finished!!!!" when everyone else is cleaning up and he still hasn't written a damn thing. He says this daily.

Brian: This little man is a handful. He is good natured and everything but he has a hard time controlling himself. He kisses and hugs people without warning and despite his best efforts he ends up with ten x's beside his name for Korean when everyone else has already gotten used to the rule. Poor guy's just chatty. Favourite Brian quote, from today, the first day I wore make up to work: "Teacher very very very very beautiful". Aww, thank you Brian.

Wendy: She has a bunch of fake teeth and this big unsightly scap on her upper lip. But she's a good kid. She likes to either pretend she's a baby or mother the other kids. Still the best writer in the class, she finishes her work fast and is pretty well behaved too. Sometimes she gets scowly and refuses to participate but this is rare. When she laughs you can hear her down the hall. Favourite Wendy quote, yelled to the whole class: "Be QUIET!!!"

Peter: He is a model child all around. He's cute, sweet, and smart. He knows words like trumpet and Japan and quilt and robot "lobot". I think he's brilliant, actually. I sang "There was an old lady that swallowed a fly" once for the class and he used the word swallowed in his speech a week later. He never gets any x's beside his name. Oh no. Favourite peter quote(s) "Lun, Labbit, Lobot, etc." Gotta get him using those r's properly.

Those are my kids. Aren't they charming.