Overheard in the Classroom (or Kids These Days), vol. XI

An early post because I travel straight from school tomorrow.

"Stop selling food in class!"--this is my constant reprimand for the "secret," not terribly discreet, economic system of gum- and chip-selling in my intro class. Seventy-five cents for a stick of gum? Ridiculous.

"Why can we always say what we don't mean? Why can't we ever say what we mean?"--another philosophical thought by one of my favorites. I can't tell if he asks me these questions to procrastinate doing his work or because he's actually distracted by them.

"You're s'posed to catch it, you cackhead!"--needs no real explanation, spoken by an 8th grader, obviously.

"She told me she only likes girls. Like how boys like girls."--one of my special ed kids about another. I didn't know how to respond, except to say, "that is not something to make fun of someone about." Sigh. Teaching is hard sometimes.

"Do you have any water? People are dying these days!"--the delivery was killer. An 8th grader, lamenting my mentor teacher no longer offering bottles of water to be sold.

"I'll tell you when to die!"--me to one of my special ed students, as we rehearsed the Echo and Narcissus myth. He's playing Narcissus and he played dead before he should have.

Ten teaching days left...!