School Funnies: Little Kids Edition

 

This week, in looking over my notes, I realized I have neglected to tell some of my funny little kid stories from the school year. This is probably because I have been so preoccupied with preparing my 5th and 6th graders for their upcoming musical. But everyone who works with kids knows that the little kiddos are the best ongoing source of entertainment.

 

The class is GONE!

At the beginning of the year, when the kids were just figuring out their routines, a couple of first graders ran to my classroom one morning in obvious distress.

 

"Mrs. Duggan! Mrs. Duggan! We CAN'T find our class!" 

 

"Where are they supposed to be right now?"

 

"We thought they would be at recess! But there's NO ONE there!" 

 

"Where were you?"

 

"We went to the bathroom. We went back to our classroom, and they're NOT THERE!"

 

"They're just . . . GONE!" the other boy chimed in. 

"Let's go check outside. Maybe you just missed them," I suggested.

"Yeah, maybe it was just our imagination," one of the boys said.

 

But no one was outside. So I walked them to their classroom. Their class was in the room like they had never left.

"Whoa! How did this HAPPEN?!" the little boys said.

The teacher explained they had been outside for a very short time, then came back inside while the boys were still in the bathroom. They had just missed each other due to a shortened recess.

 

 

Help! I Need Somebody!

One afternoon, during my lunch break, I was busy answering emails. In the back of my mind, I was vaguely aware of a tiny voice coming from the hallway. 

 

My classroom is right by the bathroom, and I hear all kinds of weird sounds coming from there throughout the day.

 

I soon realized what I was hearing was, "Help, help!" similar to what I imagine the Whos of Whoville sounded like in "Horton Hears a Who." 

 

I checked the hallway bathroom and found a first grade boy stuck in the bathroom. The bathroom door, usually held open with a doorstop since it is very heavy, had closed on the child. His face was squished against frame. He had one arm hanging out, and he was waving it around, calling, "Help! Help!"

 

I opened the bathroom door for him and asked him if he was okay, trying not to laugh.

 

He grinned, gave me a thumbs up, and skipped down the hall back to his classroom.

 

 

Most Trusted Puppet

The school counselor was giving a lesson on trusted adults. The students were supposed to come up with adults they could trust in their homes and at school. I even received a few notes from students who said I was their "trusted adult" at school. 

 

However, during her lesson in one of the first grade classes, one of the kids shouted out, "Copy Cat!" 

 

Copy Cat is the music class puppet who teaches the little kids how to sing. He occasionally shares words of wisdom with the kids via the music class message. Often these messages have to do with kindness, empathy, and (most recently) the importance of silence.

 

Apparently, one of the first graders considered Copy Cat his trusted adult. All of a sudden, the counselor's lesson was derailed as the kids exclaimed in agreement, "YEAH! Copy Cat! He's my trusted adult!"

The counselor tried to bring them back to reality, "Do you mean Mrs. Duggan could be your trusted adult?"

"Well . . . yeah . . . but we like Copy Cat as our trusted adult!"

 

The many "trustworthy" faces of Copy Cat

 

Little Kids Can Be Gross

Working with little kids is not all fun and games. They can be pretty gross too. We all know about their snotty noses and throw ups and that they cough and sneeze all over everyone and everything. 

 

But did you know they also put maracas up their shorts when given the chance? Or sometimes they just start lifting up their shirts or dresses for no reason, and you have to constantly remind them not to remove their clothing.

The newest trend, however, is little kids licking other humans.

 

The first I heard about it was from my nephew. His best friend at school had been giving some kind of caught-you-being-naughty ticket for licking another student. 

 

Then one of my music teacher friends said his entire group of kindergartners spends half of their music time licking each other. 

 

"I've never had to say, 'Susie, stop licking Johnny! Not you too, Mikey!' so many times in one class," he told me after an especially harrowing lick-a-thon. 

 

The next day, in one of my kindergarten classes, an upset little boy raised his hand, then shouted, "Kevin just licked me!"

What the heck is going on?

Oh well . . . at least we do some fun music learning in the lower grades! Enjoy this snowflake dance.

 

 

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