Laugh Lines March 2005

"I Didn't Do It"
As elementary school teachers, we are always aware of the temptation for students to look at another student's paper during an exam. Re-cently, a second grade colleague told me that she was concerned with the appearance of possible cheating during a math test. Despite the fact that she has her students use folders stapled together to serve as a shield around the test papers, one boy seemed to be actively looking around another boy's shield. The teacher approached the boy with wandering eyes and talked to him about how it appeared like he was attempting to look at the other boy's paper. The teacher then emphasized how it was important to do your own work on tests. The boy she was talking to looked at her with a straight face and said, "I wasn't looking at his paper. Besides, all his answers are different than mine!"
Jeff Dexter
Coral Springs, FL

Big Shoes to Fill
Each summer we choose a common theme for the whole state to use in our reading programs. The theme "Going on a Book Hunt" compelled me to paint bright yellow footprints on all the sidewalks leading to our library. A little girl, after seeing the prints, rushed into the library, put her chin on the circulation desk and asked, "Did God come in here?"
Anne Glasscock
O'Fallon, IL

Going to the 'Prose'
Everyone in my class was attentive as we reviewed a presentation for a literature assignment. I told the students that they had the option of reading a poem, a play or prose. I asked, "Does anyone know the definition of prose?" One eager student said, "Yes, that's where you go if you are good in sports!"
Tanesha Gant
Mesquite, TX

Odd numbers
I was marking my students' homework which included a review of odd and even numbers. After writing a number, the students were asked if the number is odd or even. One student responded "Yes."
Feige Fishelis
Brooklyn, NY

Ambidextrous
All of us have times when the same five or six children are raising their hands. During a reading lesson I decided I wanted different children to participate. I announced, "Okay, I want to see some new hands." One of my consistent hand-raisers responded, "Okay, I was raising my right hand, but now I'm raising my left one."
Kami Jackson
Princeton, NJ

Make Believe
While in the pre-school room, I decided to play along with several girls who were playing house. One girl offered me some plastic 'food.' I noticed another girl in the class was watching us. "Mmmmm…this is good! Would you like some?" I asked, in an attempt to involve her. She looked at me as though I was only a child and said matter-of-factly, "The food isn't real. It's only plastic."
Kristina Johnson
Orange City, IA

March 2005, Vol.35, No.6