Sunday, June 7, 2009

Can you stand on your head?

I spent the last 4 months teaching 2nd grade in an inner city school. Working their was frustrating, rewarding, and exhausting but when I was lucky it was just down right HILARIOUS!

On the very last day of school there isn't much a teacher can threaten a bunch of rowdy students with. They know they won't have to lose recess tomorrow. If I wrote a note to the parents, I wouldn't get a response the next day. I couldn't call home and tell the parents about the unacceptable behavior because well, half of them didn't have phones at home. So what do I do when silly little Roneisha will not stand in line?

I mean she refused to stand in line. She would stand four feet away from the line. She would sit on the floor next to the line, she would skip in circles. But there was nothing, absolutely nothing I could do to get her to stand in the line like a good little girl. So obviously I told her, "Roniesha, if you are not going to be in the right place, you are going to have to stand on your head !"

She was trying to figure this out for the rest of the day. She literally had never heard the phrase stand on your head. She kept whining, "Mrs. Fortner, I don't get it! How do you even do that?" as she tried to pull her feet up to the top of her head and contorted every way possible. I may add that she is a chubby little kid, so it was extra entertaining to watch. It was pricelessly funny, but tragic at the same time. One of the things underpriveledged kids are lacking is vocabulary. Ordinarily I would have explained it to her, maybe even shown her pictures of what I meant. But it was the last day of school.

Thanks for the laugh Roneisha. Stay cool, have a great summer.



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

love your stories, you're a wonderful writer! and I love the ending statement. reminds me of all the people who wrote in my junior high yearbook.

Jenalee said...

Thanks, that's totally what I was going for.

Anonymous said...

THat is so funny. What a cute teacher you are.

DaNae said...

I have been saying "Hags" to everyone...Have a great summer. I am lame I know