As a 2nd grade teacher I have to be on top of a lot of things. The lunch count and attendance, morning work that is meaningful but not meaningful as kids arrive anywhere between 8:45 and 9:15 these days, specials, academic plans, holidays and much more.
Last week we had to prepare for a special holiday, Mother’s Day. My team and I decided on making a bookmark out of thumb and fingerprints to go along with a book that the children wrote about their moms. Each page was a different slice about their mom… a portrait page, all about my mom page, and acrostic poem page, a simile page and a recipe for a perfect mom page.
The first 4 pages of the book were easy for the kids. They had experience with writing these during our poetry unit. But the recipe was a but more difficult and needed some more teaching. We brainstormed measurements (cups, tablespoons, etc), before moving on to the ingredients. “What ingredients would a perfect mom have,” I asked the class before giving them time to think, talk to their peers and write some ideas down on whiteboards.
“Kisses,” Hannah yelled.
“Hugs,” Terry added.
“Um…smiles,” Angelina said shyly.
I continued to call on student after student. Our list of ideas was getting big. JT could not contain his excitement so I finally called on the outstretched, waving hand. JT often responds off topics. “What would be an ingredient for a perfect mom, JT,” I asked to remind him of the question.
Loud and proud he says in a singsong voice, “makin love!”
I was baffled for a moment. Did I hear that ingredient correctly? I glanced at the other 3 adults in the room. They were all trying hard to contain their laughter. Nope I heard it correctly.
“I mean a makin love cake,” he continued in his singsong voice oblivious to my lack of response.
Needless to say I moved the class to their seats to work independently after that. Kids say the darnedest things!