A Day in 4th Grade

Today, I was a substitute teacher for a 4th grade reading class. It was delightful! I received no fewer than 5 beautiful drawings with hearts, butterflies, race cars and flowers. Here's what I'm wondering..... what are kids thinking?

kid 1: 'I don't get it.'
me: 'what don't you get?'
kid 1: 'this' (pointing to his paper)
me: 'I'm not going to tell you the answer, because that won't benefit you in the long run when you have to take a test over this material. You need to know it. Now, specifically, what don't you get.'
kid 1: 'oh, never mind, I got it.'

kid 2: 'This is for you.' (hands me a picture of a heart)
me: 'thank you! that's very thoughtful!'
kid 2: 'I don't have anything else to do.'

While the class is working, I'm casually strolling around the room. I'm helpful at times, at times I might re-direct a student, but I'm watching them. Does a child think they are invisible when they are picking their noses? Because they pick all day! Please don't touch me you bacteria covered petrie dish! Class, let's take this free time to disinfect our desks.

Will someone please invent a pencil that doesn't ever need to be sharpened? And, before you all say... mechanical pencil crazy Sassy, it's already been invented! I say to you.... children play with pencil lead just as much as they sharpen pencils! It's astonishing! Half way through the day, I put the pencil sharpener in witness protection, no child could find it..... I released the pencil sharpener with 20 minutes remaining in the day. Guess what? Pencils still need to be sharpened before they go home.

Kids...... I don't get it.