When I was hired in September, one of the reasons I was relieved it was fourth grade and not fifth (not that fifth was even an option, but still), was that fifth grade students receive the "maturation" lessons. I thought I dodged a bullet on that one.
I thought wrong.
A few examples:
1. My class went to the library today and sat on the rug so the librarian could read a story to them. When she concluded, she excused the girls to get books, and then she excused the boys. Well, a few of my precious students stayed on the carpet, insisting that they were "men." This is not the first time they have done this. When I told them to get their shelf markers because, yes, they are still boys, one of them related the following to me: "My doctor said I'm going through puberty, so I'm becoming a man."
2. Perhaps the puberty thing shouldn't have been such a surprise, because I do notice a distinct, pungent odor in the classroom after recess or PE when the class has been running around. Would it be distasteful to recommend my students wear deodorant if they notice they have a funky smell emitting from their armpits? Yes? Darn.
3. Some notes passed between two students were brought to my attention today. They detailed, among other inappropriate-pet-names-for-fourth-grade, plans to secretly hold hands in science if they were watching slides and the lights were off. The female suspect in question has also written the story of her love life and all of the boys she has crushes on in the class. (I pinky promise I found this on accident. I wasn't snooping on purpose!)
Heaven help me.
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