Memorable conversations 2.0

When teaching my 4th grade about the continuity of life, I asked the students to draw their family trees. One of the students came up to me with a genuinely worried expression.

Student: Miss, main kese banaunga? Ap ko pata hai mere dada ki kitni biwiyan hain?
Me (anticipating a number between 3 and 5): Kitni?
Student: Saat, miss, saat! Unke baais bachay hain!
Me (trying not to laugh): Ap apnay family tree main sirf apnay abbu ki ammi ka likhiye ga.

Post winter break

While there was excitement before the winter break over the homework I'd given my students, to my dismay only a very small percentage of students in each of my classes completed and submitted it in time. As promised, I rewarded them with gift-wrapped pencils, erasers and magic pops (candy that pops in your mouth). It was a funny encounter with the 3rd graders. I'd called up the seven students during break and told them they were in for a thrashing. I asked them to reflect upon what it was that they had done wrong that day. They actually came up with reasons!