laughter.

within a long list of questions i was required to ask my cooperating teacher this week, one asked the most valuable advice that she could give me as i begin teaching. she simply said: laugh a lot.

and today was filled with much of that.

while working on an assignment, i was walking around the room making sure everyone was working hard. i happened to look up at Elijah when i spied him discreetly tearing a piece of paper off of his notebook and quickly shoved it in his mouth with hopes of not being noticed. after laughing inwardly, and questioning why anyone would eat paper, i gently tapped Elijah on the shoulder and asked him to spit it out in the trash can. upon sharing this with his teacher, she said, 'oh doesn't surprise me. he eats a lot of paper! every time i remind him it's not part of any food group!'

after indoor recess Elijah comes to my side and reports, 'L.B. told me he wants to cut off my ear lobes with a knife and tape my mouth shut'. unfortunately L.B. had to be sent to the principal's office at the mention of the word knife. 

Payton and Addison were at the listening station during reading - wearing over sized headphones - and completing their task. in a room of silent kids working, Payton suddenly shouts, 'IT SOUNDS LIKE A BANJO!' and Addison responds with, 'I THINK YOU'RE YELLING!' the whole class stopped at their loud interjection - and the teacher and i laughed so hard as they both had no idea they were the only ones talking, yelling at that.

i was trying to teach math today when the hiccups overcame me. that's sure to disrupt a classroom full of 2nd graders who laughed every time another hiccup made it's way out. i'll have to continue working on my hiccup volume for future occurrences. 

some moments call for no other response than laughter. 

may i remember that each day i teach.