keep a log of cute things my students say

I went into the preschool classroom today to check a little boy’s speech, and was surrounded by little ones wanting to talk. One little girl told me she “loved” my shirt, “especially the pink and the purple.” It’s a paisley shirt. Later she told me to “wear that shirt every day, OK?” I had to say yes!

A conversation with 5 year old Wolfgang

Me: How old are you?
W: 44.
Me: No, you’re not 44.
W: Yes, I am. My mom measured me, and I’m 44.
Me: Oh, you’re 44 inches tall. But how many years old are you?
W: 44!

At that point, I gave up and changed the subject!

A student I know (but not one of mine) witnessed me fall on my face and said, “Mrs. M, are you OK?” She could have laughed, ignored me, or run away, but she stayed to help me pick up all the papers that I dropped. Did I mention that she was a first or second grader? Got to love those kids!

Kale – “I can’t do that sound (/l/). It’s too hard for me. The /r/ sound is easy. (Got him to say “slow” – so there!).

I have a new student with an impish grin and a wonderful smile. We were talking about our town and the things he likes to do. We discovered that we both like to go to the Idyllwild Tea Company. He asked me if I knew X there, and I asked him to describe him. “That doesn’t ring a bell,” I replied to his description. “What does that mean?,” he asked. Ah, the literalist!

Sometimes I get to dismiss students from speech therapy if they have met all of their goals and no longer need speech services. One fifth grade boy, Patrick, was ready to be dismissed. I had served him since kindergarten. Even though I had warned him, when the final day came, he was quite overcome. “I miss you already, Mrs. M,” he told me. As he left with his certificate and a prize, he asked me for a “big hug.”

My student Tony has some real challenges pronouncing lots of words. Today I decided to tackle “butterfly”, which sounds like “bupperfy” coming from him. Everytime I tried to get him to say “butter”, he would say, “Fly!” The more I said “butter”, the more he said “fly.” I finally figured out that he was pulling my leg, but he got the last laugh.

My student Phoenix does not like having to come to speech class right before lunch. He’s tired, he’s hungry and today he had a melt-down. “I don’t want to come to speech ever. I’m going to tell my mom. I hate coming to speech. I hate coming to see you.” Wow, and how do you really feel? Sensing that this had nothing to do with me, I reminded him of some fun times we had. He thought about that for a minute, and then resumed his wailing. I countered with the suggestion that participation would earn him a sticker. “Okay,” he said. And that was that!

asked me the other day when I decided to be a speech therapist. I told her that I was around her age, back in junior high. She exclaimed, “You went to school?” Ha ha.

I overheard a new kindergartener asking no one in particular today: “When is naptime? Do we have naptime?” I think he was tired already – the first day is lots of work.