Oh, Fifth Grade

The difference in maturity levels within my fifth grade class is rather astounding. Some of them are still very much babies who play with toys, and others are growing into young adults with all of the awful things that come with that. Today I overheard a very dramatic girl mentioning why she likes a certain male security guard of ours. He is rather good looking, but all the same, I wouldn't say that he has a "FINE" adam's apple. Just not the feature I'd choose to highlight.

In other news, I mentioned to my fifth graders today that it is my life goal to make a graphic organizer that allows for comparison and contrasting that is not a Venn Diagram. I never am able to make enough room in the middle for the comparison section, and the whole non-linear thing is rather annoying to me. One of my students said "Ms. Sablich, just draw lines like these!" She held up her paper and had drawn three columns. "It's a Venn Lineagram!"

Appropriate

There is a third grade cartooning class that meets in my classroom as part of the after school enrichment program. Today they are drawing a winter scene. The enrichment teacher in the room is a bit... well... let's just say she makes me feel like a really great teacher.

When you tell third grade students to create an appropriate winter scene, how do you think they respond to that?

"So no bloody dogs?"

"We can't draw Santa with the milk maid?" (Umm.... huh?)

"Death is out?"

And my personal favorite- "I guess frozen people wouldn't be appropriate either, huh?"

No dearest, it isn't.