Class, the POINT is...

Every day with fifth-graders:

Conversation #13, 8:20 a.m.

Mrs. D:  ...Now write your own sentences using these new vocab words.

[20 seconds later]

Student #1:  Do these sentences all have to be true?

Mrs. D:  No, you can make up sentences.  Like Brandon's earlier sentence about space aliens -- he doesn't really think aliens are coming to Earth.

Students #1, 5, & 17 [in unison, earnestly]:  But what if there really WERE space aliens coming to Earth??

Conversation #79, 9:58 a.m.

[Mrs. D is describing Black Friday, to demonstrate supply and demand.]

Mrs. D:  There are so many people who want the same thing you do that they might grab it out of your hands.

Student #1:  But why can't you just grab it off the shelf and run?

Student #2:  Because there's too many people in the way.

Student #3:  I would just have my little kid hold it and run in between all their legs.

Student #4:  No, I would...

[ka-boom! a fast-paced dialogue on Black-Friday strategies is now underway...]

Conversation #153, 11:41 a.m.

Mrs. D:  I want you to describe your home.  Write down at least three details - could be its location, size, color - things like that.  Just short and sweet.

[20 seconds later]

Mark [hand in the air]:  I have a question!  Well, you see, my house is brick, but I can't figure out how to write the color.

Mrs. D:  Isn't it red or orange?

Mark:  No, it's not really red or orange, kind of in-between..."

Mrs. D [patiently]:  Just brick is fine.

Mark:  But you said to write the color.

Mrs. D:  Well, red-ish then.

Mark:  No, but see, it's not really just reddish either, because a long time ago my little sisters drew on it with chalk, so it has like purple and blue and green spots on some parts of it --

Mrs. D:  -- Just write brick.
[9 more minutes till the lunch bell...]

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I should clarify:

We like our students -- a great deal, actually.  Mrs. D. doesn't really count down the minutes till lunch.

We are just impressed with their indefatigable ability to generate questions about any thing under the sun...