Lucky, Black Enterprise, and Fighting Over "The One With Obama in It!!!"

Hope everyone had as delightful of a first week back as I did! Well, "delightful" if I focus on the kids, which is precisely what I'm choosing to do. I have great groups, I really do--sweet and funny and ready to work. I've spoken to most of their parents already, as per NYC Educator's advice, and most of them were very pleasant and receptive. In those terms, at the very least, I had a fully gratifying first week.

I just had to blog about what happened this afternoon during independent reading. The kids restored my faith in humanity. I asked them to bring in some magazines to supplement our classroom library. Some of my favorite reactions:

1.) "I don't like Lucky [a magazine about shopping and fashion]. It's all just ladies standing around in they bikinis."

2.) "I like this magazine. [Student points to Black Enterprise, a business magazine aimed at African-Americans.] It shows that black people aren't just interested in being rappers and athletes."

3.) [Two boys fighting over an issue of Scholastic News] "I want the one with Obama in it!!! I had it first!"

Seems like they have their priorities in order.