insane

One of my favorite things to call my kids is "crazy." Not just in the teachers' lounge, but like, to their face. It started last year when a bunch of my girls decided it would be best to sit on the ground, under the shelter of their desks, for independent reading. One day I got tired of fighting that battle, and I allowed. Reading time actually started to go pretty well from that point on. I said, "Ok, my crazies, let's get going." And it just stuck.

So it's not an insult, really, it's a term of endearment. I routinely will just call them Crazy Smith when I call on them in class, and we all giggle. I mean, find me a 13-year-old who isn't hormonal and insane in some way, and I will give you a million dollars. But, we have a new student who isn't used to my affections quite yet. When we were in the lab, I discovered that he was making WordArt pictures instead of typing his memoir. I said, "Ok, Crazy, you need to start with your real work." His response was priceless:

"I'm not crazy, I'm just very smart in a weird way."

I loved it so much, I wrote it on the board. All of the other students agreed that it should be our new class motto. Done and done. Poster will be up tomorrow.