96 Tears

Okay, my class didn't cry exactly 96 tears... actually, who knows?  Maybe they did.  There were quite a few today, mostly for no reason at all.  Three out of four girls in my class cried (one cried multiple times, but I'm counting her once).


One girl cried because people were being mean to her and laughing at her (true? possibly, but not enough to cry over).


Another girl cried because "everyone" was going for her during the tap game and weren't going for anyone else.  This same girl cried at lunchtime because while she was in the kitchen heating up her cold lunch, one of the boys switched chairs.  He didn't touch her stuff!  He just traded her blue chair for a folding chair.  And apparently they did it yesterday too.  So she moved her stuff to a different place that had a blue chair, but still cried about it, and I guess the boys were laughing at her.  Lovely, just what I want to deal with as I eat my lunch.


Then during our science lab, the third girl cried because she wasn't paying attention or didn't hear what I was saying to their group and I said if they didn't know, they should ask the other people in their group.  And the only boy who'd been paying attention was being mean about it.  And then the other 5th grade boys started laughing at her for crying.  So before we had recess, I had to talk to the boys about ignoring their classmates when they're crying (unless it's to ask if they're okay).  I think I got through to them, but who knows?  We'll find out tomorrow I guess.


In other news, our Skype session with my friend Chelsea in Chile went well.  The technology was a bit spotty as per usual, but we managed.


After school today, I found out I'll be getting a new 6th grade boy next Tuesday.  He and his mom are stopping by after school Thursday to drop off his stuff.  He's not entirely a surprise; his mom's been in contact with us since last year about him switching to our school. 


My kids are still super excited about their NaNo stories.  We invented a villain today: Leif Winterchief.  He always takes the loot and the glory away from Ivan when Ivan wins a battle.  His weaknesses are small furry things and flowers, plus something happens when you touch the back of his neck.  His arms fall off? He breaks out in hives? He falls asleep for 100 years?  We haven't decided yet (but those are all things my students think should happen).  I told them my sister who is a writer might come visit our classroom in November to write with us and there was a rousing cry of, "YEAH!!!!"  And now they want her to stay the whole day.  We'll see what happens.