The Great Pluto Debate

 Not sure how this debate came up, but one student was adamant about Pluto still being a part of the 9 planets of the solar system.  I apologize in advance if any of my information is wrong.

Me: Pluto is no longer a considered an official planet.
Student A: What?? Pluto IS still a planet.
Me: Last I heard, it was not considered a planet of our solar system, it's now just considered a dwarf star.  I could be wrong, but that is the latest information I've heard.
Student A: Look! I heard it on GVTV (our school's daily news program)!  Pluto is still a planet in our solar system!
Me: I guess we'll have to agree to disagree about this then, but I strongly feel that it's considered a dwarf planet.
Student A: We need to ask someone!
Student B: Yeah we need to ask someone!
Me: Who would we call about this?
Student A: NASA!
Student B: But don't have NASA's phone number!
Student A: What is NASA's number???

Maybe you had to be there, but Student A is working on trying not to get worked up about minor issues, like Pluto being an official planet or not.  He was not so successful today :-( 

The Secret Ingredient

While discussing our plans for the weekend...

Me: What are you plans for the weekend?
Student: The new Sponge Bob Movie comes out tomorrow!
Me: Oh yeah! Who are you going to watch it with?
Student: My mom and brother!
Me: So, what is this storyline about?
Student: Well, Sponge Bob is in search of the secret ingredient of crabby patties.
Me: Squidword won't give it to him?
Student: No, he won't.
Me: What do you think the secret ingredient is?
Student: I think the secret ingredient of crabby patties is love.

Oh my gosh.  HEART. MELTED.

Feeding the Ducks

Student:  Have you ever fed ducks?
Me: Yeah, I have actually.
Student:  That means you've killed them.
Me: What?
Student:  Yeah, one the speeches, during toastmasters today was about how when you feed ducks, they get really fat, their stomachs can't handle the bread or crackers, and they die.
Me:  Oh....well I won't do it anymore!
Student:  Don't worry, you didn't know.  You're still going to Heaven.

Whew!   :-)  

Getting a Girlfriend

Sometimes I like to just sit back and listen to these kids talk to each other. 

Student #1:  I spent some time with my girlfriend this weekend.
Student # 2:  You got a girlfriend?
Student #1:  Yeah, but she doesn't go to this school.  We email and talk on the phone.
Student #2:  That's awesome that you finally got a girlfriend!   

They give each other a high five, lol! 

Student #2:  Yeah, I might be getting one too.
Student # 1:  That's really great!  

These kids are too cute for words sometimes! 

Brutally Honest

One of my students always talks to me about my handwriting.  Mainly that she likes it, wants me to write on the board, write her a letter, etc..  

Today, after I taught her class, she had some constructive criticism for me. 

Student:  Ms. Sabio, your handwriting was not good news today.
Me:  What do you mean not good news?
Student:  It was just ok.  You could do better next time. 

She's harsh!  lol

Being 21

Student # 1:  I want to be married so bad Ms. Sabio!
Me: Why?
Student #1: Because I want to be 21, that's why!

Student # 2:  Well, you need to be an adult to be 21 and to be married, when you have old skin.

Cup of...

While working on this word retrieval exercise, I was having this client fill in the blank.

Me: A cup of....
Client: Water! or lemonade!  Or you know that thing that makes people drunk....oh alcohol!

She seemed so proud of herself that she remembered that!  She went on...

Client:  No wait, a cup doesn't make people drunk, a bottle of alcohol does!  I know it's true, I've seen it on TV!

What the heck is this 11 year old watching??  

Sorting Parts of Speech

A group and I were deciding what parts of speech different words were, and the card "ugly" came up, and this is how that strange conversation went...

Me: Put the word ugly in a sentence.
Student # 1:  A baby's face is ugly.
Me: What?  That's not very nice!
Student # 2:  I got one!
Me:  OK, go ahead.
Student # 2: Grandma is ugly!
Me:  That's not very nice either!
Student # 2:  OK, Grandma is not ugly, just her foot!

So hard to keep from laughing at this point...

Student #2:  I have another one!  Drunk guys are ugly.  You know that ones that drink all the alcohol?
Me:  You think drunk guys are ugly?
Student # 2:  Well, not all drunk guys are ugly.  Some of them are handsome, the ones in bow tie shirts.

One of the funniest sessions I've had in awhile.  I'm just glad they were using the word correctly.    

Passing Notes

I got these notes today from a couple of students.  They speak for themselves.  One of the many reasons I keep coming back to work.  I absolutely love my job. 

Don't Put all your Eggs in one Basket

While discussing this proverb with a student, I was giving an example of not applying to just one college, but a few just in case.

Me: So where do you want to go to college after high school?
Student:  Oh, I've had enough school...
Me: What do you mean?
Student:  You know, I've already done preschool, elementary school, middle school, and now high school.  I'm just done!

Haha!  He has a point, that is a lot of school years under his belt!

Ultimate Band Wagoner

One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is football band wagoners:

Student:  Did you watch the Superbowl?
Me: Of course I did!  Did you?
Student: I did, who did you root for?
Me: I was hoping the Seahawks would beat the Broncos.
Student:  Oh my dad was rooting for the Broncos and so I did too.  But then I saw them losing really badly so I decided to root for the other team and when they won, I was so happy!!!  (he was genuinely excited!)

I would love to dislike this kid for switching teams WITHIN a game, but I just couldn't!    

Hate letter

This was shared with me by my colleague and good friend Marsha Salmon. A student last year, when meeting Ms. Salmon for the first time, didn't believe her last name was Salmon and kept insisting it was fish.   Hence this letter, which speaks for itself: 

Potato Chips

It was after lunch and I was teaching a small group other words for hungry (i.e, famished, starving, ravenous).

Me: Are you feeling famished?
Student: No I'm not! I just ate lunch! But I would like some junk food.
Me: Sorry, I don't have any junk food.
Student (while laughing): Oh please give me some potato chips you potato hater!

I love these kids and their random comments.   

Exciting Things at the Mall

I always ask the kids what they did over the weekend and yesterday was the Tuesday after MLK.

Me: Anyone do anything exciting over the three day weekend?

Student: Oh yes!  I had a great weekend!

Me: Oh yeah?  What did you do?

Student:  Well, I went to the mall! (he said this with such excitement)

Me:  Was there anything exciting going on at the mall this weekend?

Student!  Oh yes!  There were sales!

Well, he's right!  Sales are very exciting!  Especially in this economy.  This one made me laugh out loud!  

Looking for Love

One of my students loves Disney movies and books.  One of his favorites is The Lion King.  He carries around a book or a picture of one of the characters all the time.  When we were transitioning between activities, he is opening the Lion King book.  It seemed like he is looking for a certain page. 

Me:  What are you looking for in there?
Student:  I'm looking for love.
Me: Looking for love?

He turns to the page where the adult Simba and Nala are reunited in the forest and he starts singing...

"Can you feel the love tonight..."

My heart melted.  So adorable!  

Getting Ready for a Thanksgiving Feast

This is something a student said to me about how he is preparing for Thanksgiving.

"Ms. Sabio, there is no school on Thursday, so on Thursday I am going to wake up and take a bath because I can't be stinky for my Thanksgiving feast!!"

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Your Grass is Ass

A technique to get little kids to say /r/ in isolation is pretending to growl like a ferocious animal.  So I was having this kid, age 6, growl "grrrrrr.....," prompting for correct tongue placement, etc. 

So then we moved onto words.  I would have him prolong the /gr/ and then complete the word.  So we went from grain, grapes, green, grow, and finally grass.

We're sitting there saying "grrrrrrrass," several times and he finally stops and says, "Wait!  This word has ass in it!"

My response?  "Ok! Let's start working on your /th/ sound again!"

Whoops :-) 

Working Together

I bought this new logic game, which I've been using for giving/following directions.  After solving our third puzzle together, my eight year old clients gives me a high five and says:

"I'm the brains and you're the looks."

That one literally made me laugh out loud!  

Kids Games Vs. Adult Games

While discussing expected and unexpected behaviors to do during lunch, one of my preteen clients was telling me that she "plays" during lunch.

Client:  Some expected things to do during lunch is play!
Me:  Aren't you a little old to be playing?  That's something you do in elementary school, you're in 7th grade now.  Don't you just sit and talk with you friends?
Client: Well, I mean play adult games.
Me:  What adult games do you play with your friends?  (I was afraid of what I was about to hear.)
Client:  You know, like Yu-Gi-Oh!

Her idea and my idea of adult games is VERY different, lol.  

Ross Has a Smell?

During a session, one of my clients stops to admire my Michael Kors purse that was sitting on a table nearby.

Client:  Oh I like your purse!
Me: Thank you!
Client:  Where did you buy it? Target?
Me: Actually I got it at Ross!

She leans over to smell my purse.

Client: Oh yeah, it smells like Ross.
Me:  Ross has a smell??
Client: Yeah, Ross smells like blueberries and doctors.

Haha, I didn't know that Ross had a smell.  And what do doctors smell like??