I have been teaching fifth grade for over ten years now. You would think during that time I would have heard EVERYTHING by now. Not the case. I was sitting at my desk the other day, probably correcting or something, when I over heard a conversation that took place from the group that sits in front of me. But first...back story.
The mornings in my classroom are like my sanctuary. It is the only quiet time of the day where I can sit, get work done, and just "be" without anyone talking to me or bothering me. I sit at my desk, sipping my coffee and plan out the day. I used to use this time to have my breakfast too. I would make whatever I was having at home and then bring it to school and eat at my desk with my coffee. Again---pure bliss. The problem I was facing with my morning routine was that I was starving around 11:30. I would usually have breakfast about 7:15, and then by 11:30-12:00, I was ready for lunch. Not possible with my schedule. My kids' lunch time is at 12:30, and by the time I drop them off and go heat up my lunch, I usually don't eat until 12:45. Eating at 7:15 and then waiting until 12:45 was not cutting it. So, I decided that I would start eating at my prep which is pretty much every day at 9:30. This was totally doable. I would bring my oatmeal and make it at my prep and then it wouldn't seem so long until lunch. This has been my morning routine for quite a while now. And every now and then the kids will see me eat my oatmeal if I was running late or had yard duty and they were totally cool with it. It's oatmeal--it's not like I was having a plate of French toast in front of them. Believe me, they don't care.
So, about a week ago I had one of those crazy mornings where I was running around frantic and it seemed like I wasn't getting anything done. No prep in the morning, yard duty for first recess, and a million little things piling up. Not to mention a kid appearing at my side every minute or two to ask a question. I was frazzled. I was moody with a little bit of cranky added to the top of that. So I am sitting at my desk and I just said..."Okay, listen. I need five minutes. I need five minutes to myself to collect my thoughts and deal with what is on my desk right now. Don't come up to my desk for the next five minutes unless you are on fire or you notice your friend is on fire. PLEASE...JUST GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES!" Long pause, kids looking around at each other with looks on their faces and then all of a sudden, from the group sitting in front of my desk I hear... "I don't think she has had her oatmeal yet, has she?"
Awkward.
I did start laughing and looked up at them and said quietly, "No, no I haven't, and so ignore me while I eat this granola bar in front of you." Luckily, they laughed and all was well. No need to put out the Bat Sign that Meanie Marini went nuts again!
***And side note....the handsome little fella who resides at my house and who is also in the fifth grade, has started doing his hair again. Like, can't leave the house until it is done and done right. I don't know what to make of this. Is this for him??? Someone else??? A little of both???? These are questions I have to strategically ask in a way that won't seem like I am prying. Because you know me, I can't let this go. Character flaw through and through. I'm simply practicing my interrogation techniques with these mediocre incidents so that I can crash and burn now with my approach, therefore I am a master when he enters high school.
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