Grimm(way) Fairytales
Edition 4
Friday, September 15, 2917
The fourth edition is going to be filled with several short observances that particularly struck me…enjoy.
1). This first one actually occurred a week ago. But, I forgot to include it in last weeks edition. It was in the cafe. When a small scholar approached me and asked me a very important question, or at least it was important to her. Because I have been inflicted with poor hearing, and because she spoke in that extremely quiet kindergarten voice, I failed to understand a single word she said. I told her that I didn't understand her and asked her to repeat her question, which she did, but with the same result. At that moment Chef Anna approached and I asked her to intercede.
“What did you say?” Chef Anna asked.
The little girl repeated her question. Anna looked down at her and said, “Now where are you supposed to be?”
With that the little tot ran off to “where she was supposed to be.”
“That was amazing!” I said to Chef Anna. “ What did she say?”
“I have no idea.” Chef Anna answered. “I couldn’t understand her. I just say ‘where are you supposed to be right now’ and they just scamper off.”
Ummm, I think I need to remember that.
2) I spent 2 + days with Ms. Nicol Jensen in kindergarten and had a ball. Because of my acute hearing loss, I have a difficult time hearing certain things…like the cricket this morning in the teacher work room. Lisa Marie and the others in the workroom where besides themselves at the irritating sound that cricket was making. Unfortunately for me, or maybe fortunately, I could not hear it, in fact I have never heard the annoying sound that a cricket makes. Sorry about the side trip, back to kindergarten…I was having a hard time trying to figure out why Miss Jensen kept giving deductions for flirting? First of all, this in kindergarten, do you mean to tell me kindergarteners engage in flirting? They're 5 years old, for crying out loud. Do they even know what flirting is? Do they know how to flirt? AND they get deductions for flirting? Finally, it made sense. Little Susie made a comment without raising her hand to be recognized. Miss Jensen said, “Susie, that is the 2nd time you have flirted during class this morning. That will be a deduction.”
I was so confused. The 2nd time she has flirted?? I hadn't noticed that she had even flirted once. I started to analyze Susie’s actions that morning. Again, I never noticed that she had flirted at all…with anyone! The only thing that I saw was the couple of times she just blurted out without waiting to be called on. “Wait a minute.” I thought. “Blurted…..BLURTED…flirted…FLIRTED.”
Ohhhh, Geez!!!
3) So you think our children don't listen to us when we speak to them? I'll let you be the judge of that. I had the extraordinary opportunity of reading a story to Miss Jensen's class entitled “Peter’s Chair”. At one point in the story, Peter’s mom was looking all over the house for him, but couldn't find him. Finally, she saw what she thought was Peter hiding behind a curtain. When she moved the curtain back, she discovered that he had tricked her and put his shoes next to the curtain to fool his mother, and she was none to happy. Before I turned the page, I asked the scholars if they thought they knew what Mother was going to say to Peter when she found him?
One particular boy, without so much as a second of hesitation, shot his arm in the air.
“Yes, Billy?” I said as I pointed to him.
“You are grounded until I say otherwise.”
See…they are listening.
4) On Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to deliver some packages to the edible school yard, and while I was there, I was able to watch Stacie, Molly, and Megan, our three miracle workers of the kitchen, prepare some peach salsa. They had a copy of the recipe and they allowed me to take a copy for my cookbook.
Later that day, I was helping to supervise some 3rd graders during recess and one young lady wanted to show me a copy of a recipe she received during the edible school yard class. She produced a copy of the peach salsa recipe. To show her that two can play this game, I said,
“Well, guess what I have here in my pocket?” And I pulled out my copy of the same recipe.
“Why do you have it?” She asked, obviously confused.
“Because I'm going to make some to see how it tastes. Are you going to make some?” I asked her.
“Nah, my mom makes this stuff every weekend.”
“Oh really!” I answered. “Can I come over and have some of you moms?”
“Oh, yes! That would be great! Why don't you come over on Saturday?” She asked.
“Well, I don't know where you live. (Pause) So where does your mom live?” I finally asked.
She looked at me and without so much as a second thought she said, “With my dad.”
5) While helping the yard aides today, I was subbing for Patty and several girls came up to me and asked me if I knew where their recess teacher was. I asked them who their recess teacher was.
“I don't know her name.” They answered.
“Well what does she look like?” I questioned.
“Ahh, she has brown hair.”
“Nice, but I need a little more to go on. A lot of the teachers have brown hair.”
“Well, she's a girl!”
I give up.
) On Tuesday before school started, I was making my rounds on campus and spotted a young 2nd grader sitting alone on a bench. She didn't look very happy, so I approached her.
“Hey, there sweetie.” I offered. “ You don't look very happy. What's wrong?”
She said she was sad because a boy had pushed her and made her trip and fall down.
I asked her if she was alright and she nodded. But, she wanted to know why he did that?
“Well, you know, he probably just has a burr in his breeches. I wouldn't let it bother me.”
“A what in his where?” She asked. Totally bewildered as to my reference.
Am I really getting to the age that nobody understands my connections? I just chuckled to myself and assured her that it would all work out. It wasn't until the latter part of the day when I was sharing my experience with one of the young female yard aides. I told her that I was stunned that this little girl didn't know what a burr in ones breeches meant. She explained to me that it is all about the language and how languages change over the years.
“For example.” She said. “What is your opinion about twerking, and should high school girls be allowed to twerk?”
“Twerking??? What the heck is twerking?” I questioned.
She just smiled and said, “I rest my case.”
Finally,
6) This poor baby hung on for as long as she could. But, when the teacher said to put their heads down on the desk for some quiet time…well, that was all the encouragement she needed.
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