April Fools!

There are two kinds of people: those who prank, and those who are pranked upon.

Realizing that there would be school on April 1st (and I couldn't rightly get out of it), and catching two of my second graders scheming after school on March 31st, I realized I was about to become the latter unless I took drastic measures--and fast.

The day summed-up:
~ The kids walked in to find their tote-trays (bins inside their desks) all mixed around the room, so they had to find where they were sitting for the day. (Yes, this began the day a little chaoticly. Small price to pay to let the second graders know which of the two kinds of people I am, and to thwart the incoming pint-sized pranksters by throwing them off their guard first thing!)

~ I wrote the schedule backward on the board. They thought it was hilarious that the first thing to do that day was to Go Home. (I love how little it takes to earn cool points as a teacher of seven- & eight-year-olds.)

~ At Morning Meeting and after we did our shared reading in a Big Book for our science unit on rocks, I handed them each a few pieces of rock candy which they immediately assumed were pebbles I brought them from the Oregon Coast. (On any other day this would be a good assumption.) I asked them to brainstorm adjectives to describe their rocks, then tell a neighbor. The next direction was to see if they could break it with their teeth, and I modeled this as they looked on with owl-eyes. "It's chooocolate!" they finally exclaimed. An old classic. Very cute.

~ I had Mike, the custodian, bring in a big roll of toilet paper. I told the kids someone had clogged the plumbing and it's effecting both bathrooms, so they need to go outside to use the far tree. I had the teacher next door come in to ask if I had the toilet paper, and she took some and danced out of the room just to verify the information. (Because of that, this joke took some serious work to convince them they really shouldn't go outside! Can you imagine the phone calls I'd get?!)

~ And, drumroll please...the best one, donated to me by a respectably mischievous friend. After wrapping up the last chapter of the book Falcons Feathers (A to Z Mysteries--highly recommend the series!), I closed the book and commented on how lots of birds will be migrating back now that the weather is warming up. Like...the Loof Lirpa bird.
"The Loof Lirpa? What's THAT?"
"You've never seen a Loof Lirpa?! And you're from UTAH?!"
"I've seen one!" David called out.
"Interesting..." I responded.
"They're attracted to blue flowers."
"Do they have mohawks?" Sebron asked.
"Some do! They're pretty goofy looking. You have to see one! They'll come if you do their call that they're named after. I'll give you a blue piece of paper to take home. I'll print "Loof Lirpa" on it so you remember how to say it. If you take it outside, hold it up, and call, 'Loof Lirpa! Loof Lirpa!' I bet you'll see one!"

They all immediately began practicing the call. (Imagine a class full of the Three Amigos, "Look up here! Look up here!" call. It was beyond my capacity to keep a straight face at this point, with all the effort I could muster! I thought for sure I'd given myself away. I've always been a ridiculously awful liar.)

"If you don't see one, go inside and stand in front of the mirror with your sign and practice the call. You've got to do the call right." I told them to draw one if they saw it so the rest of us could see what they look like.

I was so excited to come to school today, April 2nd, to see what happened. The children came in stomping their feet, pointing their fingers at me, and I couldn't contain my laughter!

"Mrs. GLANZER! There's no such thing as a loof lirpa...it's APRIL FOOL spelled backward!"

After school I had a parent come tell me just how hilarious it was, and how she told every living relative all about it.

I had to promise the children today that I've been honest to them on every other day but April Fools. But what I lost in credibility I gained in respectability. That's a trade I am willing to make one day a year. =o)