Classroom Quotes

I thought it would be interesting to share with the blogosphere some of the interesting things that are said to me from my students in my 4th grade class at Rural Elementary School (and I do mean rural). Please enjoy.

(On Friday afternoon at the end of the first week of school.)
Student: Mrs. Davis, are you tired?
Me: (relieved that such a sensitive, caring 9 year old actually noticed) Why, yes. Yes I am.
Student: I could tell because of the way your hair looks.

Student: Mrs. Davis, do you have a dog?
Me: (excitedly) Yes! How did you know?
Student: You have dog hair all over the back of your shirt.

Student: Mrs. Davis, I have over five chickens.
Me: Wow. (thinking: over five chickens....as in, 5 1/2 chickens??)

(Observation during a rainy inside recess day)
Student A to Student B: I just left some cologne over there.
Student C: Ewww! It smells like old cheese over here!

Student: I freakin' LOVE parakeets.

Student: Mrs. Davis, your hair is really poofy! (Which I took as a compliment considering I did use volumizing hairspray this morning.)

(Walking around the tables in the cafeteria at lunchtime, I notice one of my boys has a napkin wrapped around his finger like a ring.)
Student: Mrs. Davis, look at my puberty ring! (Holds the napkin wrapped finger up to me.)
Me: Um... your what ring?
Student: My puberty ring!
Me: What does puberty mean?
Student: Oh, you know, like, you have puberty.

(While teaching a science lesson on ways people can harm ecosystems by changing the biotic and nonbiotic factors, ex: cutting down trees to build cities, pollution, etc)
Me: Does anyone have other ideas on how people can harmfully change ecosystems?
Student: Some people hunt animals when they're not supposed to. They could become endangered.
Me: That's right. If we hunt animals out of season or animals that are illegal then we will harm the ecosystem. We call the people that do this...(pause for an answer)
Student: Hillbillies?

Student: Mrs. Davis, my stomach doesn't feel so good.
Me: Do you need to go to the restroom?
Student: No.
Me: What does your stomach feel like? Do you feel like you're going to throw up?
Student: No.
Me: Does it feel like sharp pain?
Student: No. It feels like there's hot lava rolling around in my belly.
Me: I see. Go try to use the bathroom.

Student: Mrs. Davis, you actually fixed your hair today! It's not sticking out in the back!

(*Note: I usually wear knee-high boots to school, which make a clomp-clomp noise as I walk down the sidewalk or through the classroom.*)
Student: Mrs. Davis, your shoes are so loud. Why do you wear them every day?
Me: Because they are comfortable.
Student (female): They make you sound like a queen.
Another student (male): No, they make her sound like she's coming to kill somebody.

Me: Read this sentence. What is the action verb?
Student: Today farmers specialize in growing crops for money. The verb is specialize.
Me: Good. Now-
Student: I specialize with my Grandpa on his farm. Know what we specialize in? Helping cows have babies. Know what we do to help them? Well first you have to put on a long plastic glove. Then you have to stick your arm up the cow's (looks at me with wide eyes and nods with a significant look that says you-know-what, I nod quickly to show I understand what he is talking about), and it feels all mushy and slimy inside. Then you know what happens? I grab one of the calf's legs and Grandpa grabs the other and we pull it out and lay it beside it's mama. It is SO GROSS!
(Again, I teach at a VERY rural school.)