the "cricket"

Today during my K5 art class, one of my students discovered a “cricket.” He immediately starting shouting, “Miss Vasso, Miss Vasso, I found a cricket!” He was extremely exited, as were all the other students. Almost immediately the class had encircled the boy, and giggles and squeals came from every direction. In the 10 seconds that this took place, I was thinking, “there was no way a cricket could get into my room”. I then realized what I was up against! As I got to the center of the mob, I saw it… a HUGE COCKROACH! It was the biggest one I had ever seen. I was doing everything in my power to stay calm. I didn’t want to alarm the children. And if they realized what it was, who knows what might happen next. And what do you know, one of the girls yelled out, “It’s a cockroach!!!!” There was instant chaos! Of course with all that noise and movement, the cockroach made its exit. I then screamed and jumped. It was a total mess! After I got the class back in order, I kept referring to it as the “cricket”. It seemed to calm everyone down. Well, it’s hours later, and I still haven’t seen that cockroach, I mean, “cricket”, and I’m not feeling too calm…

things I have heard in my art classes...

"Will this paint come off my hand before I am 21 yrs. old?"
~ 3rd Grader

"You're my favorite Art teacher!" (I'm the only one!)
~ All ages

" Isn't my painting beautiful? It looks just like that! (She was pointing to a reproduction of one of Monet's Paintings...)
~K5