Seen and Heard

Seen:

During our mock EOG test, the class is dead silent. I'm gazing around the room, thinking how cute my little boys are when I don't want to strangle them. They're just quietly bent over their papers, brows furrowed. Norman is twirling his dreads thoughtfully and Tyrell is chewing his pencil...So sweet they seem. I smile at the top of their heads until my scan reaches Rosamuel.

Ohh, Rosie.

He is licking his forearm--over and over and over. He starts at the elbow, licks to the wrist. Repeat. Repeat. My smile fades to a look of concern, then bewilderment, then back to smile again. I clap my hand over my mouth, but not before a small giggle escapes. He looks up, startled, then smiles at me. "I'm a cat," he mouths.

I wink and nod my head as if it all makes perfect sense. Keep in mind I teach 8th grade, not 2nd.

Heard:

Tyrone is up to something, and I can tell out of the corner of my eye. When I turn my head, I see him holding his phone out from his body.

"TYRONE! First of all, put that AWAY. Second of all...are you trying to take a picture of me?"

"Uh...yeah," he says sheepishly.

"Why??"

"Well...because...no nevermind."

"That's not gonna fly, Tyrone. I need to know why there is now a photo of me stored into your phone's memory."

"Well...you know when you called my dad yesterday and left him that voicemail sayin' how bad I been in class and how I be failin' science?"

"Yeah."

"He got mad. But then he said you sounded sexy on the phone so I was gonna take a picture of you to show him what you look like."

[later that day]

Tyrone: You got pretty feet, Ms. M.
Me: Thanks Tyrone. What constitutes a pretty foot?
Tyrone: I dunno. Yours. That's my kinda girl though. A girl who smells good and has pretty feet. And good hygiene. That's my kinda girl.

Reach for the stars, Tyrone!