What Switching to 6th Grade from 8th Grade Has Taught Me

1. There is a fine line between being brain damaged and being in the 6th grade.

2. 6th graders RUN everywhere. And when they arrive full-speed at their destination, they are biologically programmed to smack/hit/tap/annoy the nearest person.


3. 6th graders would marry their lockers if they could.


4. 6th graders can't chew/digest food.

Well, at least the one who choked until he threw up in the cafeteria today can't.

And the one who puked after he saw it isn't doing so good either.


5. Schedules are really hard for 6th graders. I'm not sure why. It's a list IN ORDER of classes to which they should go. And yet, it is the end of the first week and EVERY PERIOD, they ask me where to go next.

My response? (after a deep breath) "Point to the class on your schedule where you are now."

They point. "What is the next class on the list?" They point again, and yet still look at me
questioningly.

"GO THERE." And they act like they never would have figured that out on their own.

Yikes.


6. If you let them tell you one story...they will NEVER STOP TALKING. I can only listen to so many disjointed yarns about shoelaces, pudding, or an older sister's boyfriend's cousin before I want to die.


7. Having a child 'on the way' in no way gives me more patience dealing with children. Good to know.