"I hat you Ms. Ray"

As a first grade teacher I get lots of love. First graders dish it out like candy...i get hugs, drawings, love notes (mis-spelled, of course), and even verbal praise. You have to do very little correctly to gain their love. I have a whole wall devoted to the little notes and pictures I have received from them. It is a much needed Wall O' Support for the days that are...lacking in love.

Unfortunately, not everyday is filled with constant joy and smiles. It is just as easy to gain a 6 year old's hatred, as it is love. I sometimes must lay down the law, punish, discipline, and disappoint these beloved little friends I spend each day with. Yesterday was one of those days. We were taking a test. The kids know this routine. We do it twice each math chapter, and every Friday for spelling. They get it. And they know that cheating will get their paper taken away and I will get very frustrated with them.

Just because they get it, doesn't mean that they won't at least attempt a little peek at a neighbors paper, or a little side conversation when they think I am not looking. BUT, as we all know..I have eyes in the back of my head. So I see EVERYTHING! :)

One little girl could really use some tips and pointers from the people I went to high school and college with, because she sucks at cheating. Very loudly, she started up a conversation with a girl ACROSS THE ROOM about the answer to number 13. REALLY!? As though I would not notice. I promptly "moved her clip down" and took her paper explaining that cheating just is not acceptable. She has heard this before, from another boy who used to have a problem with cheating in the classroom. Yet, she acted as though I just took her Halloween candy and threw it away. She then pouted for a moment. Put on some fake tears (which I easily ignored), and went to work on a "hate note."

She is ridiculously un-sneaky. She then tried to run to my desk, and put it there without me seeing. I obviously saw. I simply took the note, and read it. I was rather impressed with the front of the paper..in perfect writing it stated "This is for you Ms. Ray." SWEET, she even spelled 'this' correctly! But then I turned it over to find this, "I hat you Ms. Ray." Now, I was clearly upset. I have heard plenty of "I hate you's!" in my day while working with kids. Kids will hate you for anything. But, this is my first written note. She meant business. But not only that, we have spent ALL WEEK learning the long /a/ sound! We spent the last 3 days specifically practicing and discussing how the e at the end of these words makes the a says its name.....hate. it should say HATE! Oh my, not only does she hate me! But she doesn't know what we have spent all week working on!!!

But, first grade is simple. So, it was a simple fix. I gathered the class for a class discussion. We talked about our classroom rules. We talked about respect and disrespect. We talked about how this makes me feel- how it makes anyone feel. (all done anonymously..she did not know I had seen her put the paper there). Then I gave the culprit of the note writing a chance to come and talk to me about it while the rest of the class got ready for recess. If the note author did not come and fess up the punishment would be: 10 marbles from the marble jar.

...you're on the edge of your seat now, aren't you?....you're wondering..did she fess up? did she let the class lose 10 marbles?...did i really make the whole class lose marbles for one girl's mean note that I actually KNEW who wrote it!?!....

...she fessed up. she came weeping to me. saying how sorry she was. how she just wanted the right answer on her paper. how she was wrong. she cried and hugged and apologized over and over.
...and the class kept their 10 marbles.

And just like that...from hate to love.