After my last blog I feel like I need to take a step back and share some “good” stuff. So let’s see… what to talk about… what to share.
Well, I teach fifth grade this year. Fifth is a new grade level for me. I can officially say that I’ve taught everything from 4th - 12th grade now. I wasn’t terribly thrilled with the idea at first, switching grades is always kind of a hassle. But it was the best for me for personal reasons. And here I am, loving it. Let’s discuss what I’ve learned about fifth graders.
First of all, they are the sweetest buggers on the planet. Seriously nice kids. Maybe it is just this section of kids, I don’t know. I told my family last night at the dinner table that I didn’t know if I would go back to sixth grade because I love my fifth graders so much and my oldest daughter cautioned me that it was “maybe just this one group of fifth graders”. I suppose she could be right. In that case, I want to follow them until graduation.
What’s so great about them you ask? Well, the second day of school I overheard a couple of girls talking about me and one of them said, “she’s so pretty!” and the other agreed. And that same day we got to talking about something and one kid said his mom was way older than me. Being a former graduate of FC and knowing his mom I said I was pretty sure his mom was younger than me. And he said, “Oh no. My mom is 40.” To which I replied, “yep. And I’m 41.” That apparently was shocking news and several students had to comment that they didn’t believe that as I looked like I was in my 20’s or 30’s at the most. Of course when I told them that they were my favorite, then it became a contest to see how young they all could say I looked. I’m not complaining. It wasn’t a bad thing. I’m a little concerned about their vision, but if they don’t have a future in the carnival game of “Guess My Age”, I guess we had better get to work on plan B.
I also love love love how they see the world. You would think that there isn’t that big of a difference between fifth and sixth. Apparently there is a load of a differences. For example, we are reading a book called Shiloh. In the first chapter the author is building the main character and spends several paragraphs describing how Marty doesn’t want to eat dinner because it is rabbit that his dad shot. It goes on to say that Marty wants to know if the rabbit died right away (so it didn’t suffer) and when the dad says “soon enough” and the little sister wants to know if it’s head was shot clean off, Marty can’t finish eating and has to leave the table. Now sixth graders would (with a little coaxing) get that the author was trying to show that Marty cared for animals and didn’t like to think of them hurting. Fifth graders when asked all shouted “He’s a picky eater!” Sigh. Yes, maybe Marty is. But I loved their lightbulb faces when I explained the other side of what the author might trying to show them. Such excitement!
Kind of like the student who was so proud of his definition for “lame”. Of course he was right when he said it meant “something that is not cool”. And another student today who said “boring, kind of like a bad movie or TV show.” Or the definition of kindle being a tablet thing that you can play games and read books on. Oh the generation gap is strong with these kiddos.
Fifth graders love to tell stories. They all have a story. For every. Little. Thing. I wish I could hear and share them all, but I would need a much bigger blog and a lot more time. Sadly I have to tell many of them that we don’t have time to share. It totally bums me out because there little faces get such a crushed look and I know that there stories would be a hoot. There are not enough hours in the day with them, that’s for sure.
I have never had a group of students who are less concerned about getting things done or getting to work. They would much rather tell stories and have a pile of homework than get to work and get it done. I guess I wouldn’t complain about getting to sit around and tell stories all day, but I’m sure their parents will be just thrilled with a pile of homework coming home each night. Everyone knows I love a good story.
All in all, this move has been a Godsend and just what I needed this year. Change is good, even change that we shake our heads in wonderment at first. But there is a little downside to all this energy and enthusiasm. Fifth grade is exhausting! Wow. Take the normal first week hangover and multiply times 100. I cannot believe that tomorrow is Monday already and after two days of sleeping in until 7:00 and getting to bed as early as I can, I’m still wiped. Oh well, ready or not, here comes week two!
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