So I had a great day today! The day started off pretty well! The kids came in ready to have a free day but after yesterday I realized that they needed a structured free day otherwise it was going to be pandemonium. Of course they were upset but I kept saying " Guys, you aren't ready for a free day because you do not know how to follow instructions!" They of course insisted they did. So I began giving them basic instructions such as " Take out paper and pencil, put it in the middle of your desk, fold you hands together and sit quietly!" Two or three did exactly what I said, but no one else did. So I just sat there looking around and finally most did what I instructed. I kept at this but they didn't seem to understand, well one little girl suddenly got the picture because every time I gave an instruction and then did not say anything for a long time I would ask the kids why they thought I wasn't saying anything else. Time after time this little girl was the only one who could say exactly what was wrong. All morning long this kid was the only one who seemed to understand.
 Then I decided to play Simon Says. This really got to a lot of them. You must do exactly what Simon says, and most of them did more, or less or did not do the right thing, or thought they were doing the right thing...needless to say by the end of the day, most understood what I meant.

 After about an hour of Simon  Says, which we played between assignments, most caught on. They realize they need to work on listening better.

Then I told them we were going to do a Newsletter, which of course half had no idea what it was, another third thought I was just throwing something strange out there to trip them up and the rest pretty much understood what I meant. So I told them we had to think of a name. So Everybody got the chance to suggest names. They were::


1. Boring ( Keep in mind that when this was suggested, no one said a word...this is going to be important later on in the list)

2. Gardeners News

3. The Chicken Nerds ( I kid you not. I am reading the list as I type this!)

4. 4th Grade Nerds

5. 4th Grade Super News

6.  4th grade Firefighters ( Everybody had a fit! They yelled and screamed " 4th grade fire figthers! That's dumb! We don't want that!" I said " Wait a minute! Sooo, when AS said the name of the thing should be 'Boring', nobody said a word. SC says 4th Grade Firefighters and you all have a fit!" I laughed so hard I almost had an asthma attack. One little girl, HS, started yelling" You guys, you're giving Ms Fern an asthma attack. She's saying she can't breaf [ and indeed I was saying  I can't breaf! I can't breaf!], and another little girl, NH kept popping out of her seat saying " Should I get your pump? Do you need you're asthma pump?" ).

7. Chicken Wing Lovers

8. 4th grade is the best

9. 4th grade Cops( they really went bananas on this one. " we don't want to be called 4th grade cops. That's stupid! No 4th grade cops" and those were the milder things they said.)

10. Motivational Newsroom

and last but not least

11. Queen of Fernland!

Guys I laughed so hard when the SL raised his hand and said that, I thought I was gonna pass out!!! The kids made me laugh so hard I almost wet myself, and had an asthma attack at the same time!
After I recovered I said " You can name it that if that if you want, but you guys have to make me a crown, and then we have to take a picture of me with the crown on, my glasses on crooked and my mouth twisted like Lucy Ricardo when she says " Euuuueeeee"! They said  " No no Ms Fern. You have to put your glasses on like an old lady, at the end of your nose!" I had to laugh again! This children are sooo crazy!

The they voted on the  name they wanted. Queen of Fernland and Chicken Wing Lovers were neck and neck all during the voting, but QOFL won 6-5. I laughed so hard I cried!

I truly could not have found a better group of kids to work with! My love for them grows by leaps and bounds; there is so much I can bring to them and starting Monday, it's on!!!!!!! I will of course be posting our newsletters as they are published!

The kid I talked about yesterday has suddenly taken a  turn for the better. First of all he thought I ate the cookie he bought that I told him he could not  buy because he was misbehaving. This morning I showed him I still had his cookie and gave it back to him at lunch time. He was good as gold all day. This gave me the opportunity to explain to him why I am so hard on him. He was soooo good today and I kept complimenting him on his good behavior! He seems to be a different kid now.....hope and pray.