What kids say...............

Image via Wikipedia You know those moments in the classroom when you're expecting one thing to come out of kids' mouths, but instead something wildly different appears? You know, the "stop dead in your tracks" moments trying to wrap your brain around what just happened? (I'm referring to the good ones, we can just forget about the bad ones - although they do happen too.)

Well, many moons ago I was Ed. Director at our local Performing Arts Center at the university. One of my favorite duties was leading "backstage tours" for schoolchildren. We did a short skit w/ each class, during the tour, where a couple kids went onstage and told some jokes. They were announced over house p.a., and spotlighted, etc. while their classmates sat in the audience. While the kids were preparing backstage, I would prepare the audience. I pointed to a sign and said, "Now this sign says-" and before I could finish my sentence a very young boy shouted out "APPLESAUCE!" The sign actually said "Applause". Well.....you know the rest, kids told jokes, applause sign went up, kids gave their applause ----and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for the rest of the day:)

What kids say!

Saw this in San Francisco at the De Young Museum this week, Renoir, Boy with Cat.

Next to me, mom says to her little girl, "Oh Kristin, look at this painting, it has a cat. I bet it's your favorite?" Little girl said, "I'd like it better if he had his underwear on."

A rose is a rose, is a rose...., but is it?

Kid quote of the day (today):
This is a lovely work of art in progress, don't you think?
Well, I do. So I said to artist, "Oh golly, I just love your tulips. Those colors go so well together, and I also like the way you made your flowers different sizes."
Artist said, "Mrs. Smith, don't you know? These are roses. I don't even know what tulips look like!"
My response....just a smile. Really, what can a middle-aged woman say to a cute-as-a-button 3rd grader when she is certain that her Tulips are Roses?

Walking California? (What kids say)

Schlepping my art materials from one classroom to another brought me a smile today.

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A girl called out from the playground, "Hi Mrs. Smith. We're walking California!"
I asked, "What's walking California?"

She said, "Our teacher told us the distance across California and we do laps around the playground and at the end of the year some of us will have walked all the way across California!" Then she went back to skipping around the playground.

Aren't teachers just the cleverest beings?! If anyone can come up with new imaginative ways for making us "want" to exercise, leave it to a teacher. (Ha, not sure this idea would work in Texas!)

What kids say......

When I teach at schools I carry large prints in a large canvas portfolio bag. It's about as big as the one featured in the Dick Blick catalog as seen here (that's not me):

One day I was walking out to my car in the school parking lot, and a little girl and her mom were walking toward the office on the other side of the parking lot..............the girl said to her mom, "Mommy, look at how big that lady's purse is!"

(For the record, my real purse is smaller than average.)

What kids say......

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Earlier this week I heard another gem coming out of a kid's mouth. Two sixth grade boys looked to be pals and were mingling in an area where I could hear them. (Okay, overhear them. Yes, my eavesdropping skills are fine tuned and if it were a sport I'd be listed among the elite.)
One boy said to the other, "What's the definition of the word definition?"
The other boy thought it was hilarious.........and so did I!

What Kids Say........

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Kids get excited when they see me walking around campus with my big canvas art bag and boxes of supplies. I'm an artist-in-residence, so that means I'm only teaching art at the schools on "special" days. The children see me and know that someone is having art that day, and if I had a nickel for everytime a child asks, "Mrs. Smith are we having art today?" well......let's just say I'd have a lot of nickels.
Anyway, usually that question is what I hear all day long when I'm on a school campus - except for one darling little first grade girl with hair that shows she knows how to make the most of her playtime at recess. Everytime she sees me, she yells, "Mrs. Sniff, Mrs. Sniff, Are we having art today?" (That one is worth more than a nickel, don't you think?!)

What kids say.......

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This sweet letter came to me from a 5th grader, and it exudes young innocence:).......Yipes, help, uhhhh their goal of "becoming a Police Officer" is certainly a worthy goal. Sometimes art in the classroom can be TOO much of a good thing, eh?

What kids say.....

I was teaching 4th graders a lesson inspired by Paul Cezanne. Before the lesson I showed some Cezanne art and talked a bit about him. As usual, I pointed and repeated the correct pronunciation of his name (emphasizing "Say-Zahn")a couple of times, then told the class it was "their turn". I point to the name and they're supposed to say it in unison. Class get ready, I point, and everyone said slowly, "Paul Cezanne." Actually, not everyone said, "Paul Cezanne." One boy who sat the front row wasn't paying too close attention and instead he said, "Celine Dion." Say-Zhan?/Dee-Aahn? -- If you knew the child, you'd know as I did that he wasn't kidding. None of the other kids heard him, luckily.

Close enough, I guess???

Kids Really Do Say These Things

Art lesson in a first grade classroom...

After I'd finished explaining the lesson I gave the students permission to begin creating their art. Kids worked quietly and three hands went up in the air for help.

I went to first child who said, "Is it okay if I put a flower over here?"

I said, "Yes, that's a great spot for a flower."

Then I went to the other child with his hand raised who said, "Can you help me cut this out?"

I said, "Sure, let me show you where to put your fingers and get you started cutting, then you can do the rest."

Then I went to the third child who had waited patiently with her hand raised the whole time I was answering questions and helping. She said, "I like your toes. Are they pink?"

I said, "Yes, I do have pink toenails. Did you have a question about your art?"

She said, "No, now I'm going to get started."

Thanks kid for "Really" listening

Kids love to express their appreciation and I often receive notes and cards from them at the end of my series of lessons. One of my favorites was from a 2nd grade boy.

On his card, he drew a picture of a lady in front of an art covered chalkboard. Then he drew a large bubble coming from the lady's mouth which said, "OH DRAT!" Yes, this was in fact something he remembered me saying SIX weeks earlier when I had realized that I left a box of supplies in the school office. Apparently, those words had left an impression.....hmmmm, wonder if he recalled any of the art information I shared also?

A kid said.....

I was passing out paper in a 2nd grade class on Tuesday and overheard a little girl say to little boy next to her, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a rock star or a teacher."
What did he say back? Nothing, he was too busy trying to get his pencil through a hole in the bottom of his sneaker.