Blood on his hands

Hi and welcome to my blog :o) I decided to start a blog for my own mental well-being. See, I teach, which makes me slightly unhinged to begin with, I think, and I just have these moments of needing to share about the craziness that is an elementary school classroom. Now, I do already have a blog on myspace, but unfortunately, myspace is not looked at kindly by the IT department at school (and really, who can blame them?). I need a blog that isn't blocked at school, so here I am.

Yup, here I am, living my way through my seventh year teaching fifth grade. So, welcome to my classroom, and my unique group of kiddos. Two-thirds of them are boys...very physical, active, spastic boys.....the polar opposite, in fact, of myself. Most days I have almost no clue what to do with them. Like today.....

Walking down the hall to lunch, I actually gave permission for a student to run in the hallway. (I know, gasps of astonishment). But let me tell you the latest trick that one of my active, spastic boys came up with. Comes up to me with blood literally running down his fingers and hand. I say "Oh, my glory! What happened?" and he nonchalantly replies "Pulled my tooth out." "Was it loose?" "Well, sort of." "Ok. You need to go down to the bathroom now." He agrees, then meanders down the hall, sticking his bloody hands in anyone and everyone's face. That's when I told him to run. And I meant it. And I'm sure the "veteran" teachers at the end of the hall really appreciated that as they watched him streak by. But really, what was I supposed to do? His comments after lunch, "It was awesome! It was all like bloody and bluahahhah and I got to run in the hallway, that was the best part!" At least I made somebody's day!