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Being God

All fifth grade students at our school keep check registers. They earn “credits” for good behavior and are assessed “debits” for bad behavior. Today as we came in from lunch I asked the class to get ready for Science. Most of them were so excited about the idea (not) that they continued their recess chatter and generally got ready for nothing.

Four students did get their science materials out. I called their names and told them to add $5.00 to their checkbook registers. I said their reason for transaction column should read “ready to learn.”

Mo raised his hand. “Ms. A.,” he said. “I don’t know how to spell ready. Can I just write, ‘being good?'” I went to the board and wrote r-e-a-d-y. Mo got a funny look on his face. “What?” I asked. He held out his paper. “I already wrote the other in ink. I didn’t know how to spell ready.”

I looked down at his paper and couldn’t help laughing. He had written, “Beeing god, paidment $5.00.” Either Mo is seriously spelling challenged, or God is in the fifth grade this year and failing language arts.

Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives on The Big Island in Hawaii. When she is not hanging out with Amoeba, she is likely teaching or sewing. Or she could be cooking, taking photographs, or even writing. But if she's not doing any of that, she's probably on Facebook or tinkering with her blog.

9 Comments

  4. Melli, that’s what I said! “Gee, I don’t know, Mo. God is a pretty demanding job. Seems to me like it should be worth more than $5.00.”

  9. I love the idea of a check register for “being good” rewards. Kids can see exactly how much reward they deserve and learn a skill that many adults don’t handle well at the same time.

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