Reflection Fest Day 2: Funniest Classroom Moment
Today’s reflection is a fun one: Think about your funniest classroom moment this year.
Humor is an essential part of classroom life. I used to spend all my days around kindergartners and first graders, laughing my head off at their amazing way of approaching the world. Luckily, through my coaching work, I still go into kindergarten classes every so often — and my funniest moment this year happened when I was observing a kindergarten math lesson. As I sat in the back of the class, a teensy little boy walked up to me. Looking me straight in the eyes, he started stroking the sides of my face while whispering, “You are safe. You are safe.” It was so bizarre… and hilarious!
These responses from our Tcher community had me laughing out loud:
- “I was observing a kindergarten classroom and the teacher was reviewing letter sounds. She displayed a picture of a mouth on the smartboard and asked a child what the beginning letter sound was, and he responded by saying “g.” She asked him what the picture was, and he respond by saying ‘a grill. You know, like you show your grill when you smile.’ It was very hard not to chuckle!” — Shelia Banks, School Support Specialist, Marrero, LA
- “When teaching a close reading lesson on a turkey recipe for 2nd graders, the ingredient list included a 14 lb. turkey, washed and dried. I asked if I could bring the turkey in the shower with me, and they laughed and agreed that I should wash it in the sink. When I asked what I should dry it with, I got the following answers: leaf blower, the sun, a hair dryer, a towel, an old shirt, the oven, and a microwave. Note: no student came up with paper towel. It was priceless.” — Katie Novak, K-12 Reading Coordinator, Chelmsford, MA
- “Definitely the funniest moment this year came entirely at my expense. I was trying to accomplish too many things at once like I usually am. As I was striding across the room to grab that just-right resource off my bookshelf, my shoe clipped a rogue backpack and 2 seconds later I was making a bellyflop onto the hard floor of my classroom. And as bellyflops usually go, this was not graceful. In fact, I could tell by the uncanny silence in the classroom just how embarrassed I should be when I pulled myself up off the ground. As the lull gave way to ripples of relieved laughter I was thankful for Zach, who made it all better when he said, “Man — that was, like, Matrix, man. I mean, your head was going for the desk, but somehow you avoided it!” — Sarah Brown Wessling, Tch Teacher Laureate, and High School English Language Arts Teacher, Johnston, Iowa
Share your funniest moment in the comments below!
More Reflection Fest:
* Most Inspiring Moment
* Biggest Challenge
* Favorite New Thing
* Your Goals for 2014