Kids say the darndest things!

OK, here is a story that I just couldn't pass up on sharing. I am an elementary library media specialist and at this level you learn to realize that kids get so excited about knowing an answer, or thinking they know the answer, that they tend to blurt it out. Of course there are some kids that do this more than others and you learn to live and teach through these.

Soo.....

I am currently introducing a research project with my kindergartners. This week I am introducing them to the research process that we use in my county. One of the steps in the process is Organizing Information. I have this simple PowerPoint that I use with the kids that goes through each step.

I get to the slide that asks "What do you think the O stands for" and I prompt the kids the use their thinking skills on what they think the next step would be, keeping in mind that the word has to start with the letter O. I then start sounding to word out to give them a hint and get them thinking along the right sound path...

oooorrrrr...... *kids blurting out various wrong words, or following my lead and sounding it out with me hoping it will come to them* I love watching them as they try to figure out what I'm hinting at, because you can see the faces light up when they think they have the right word.


ooorrrgggg......


ooorrrggggaaaaa.... *do you see where this is going to go wrong yet?*

Then, one of the girls who was sitting right next to where I was blurted out...

"ORGASM!" *yes, oh yes, you read that right. Of course my mind is realing with thoughts of.... How the heck does a freakin' 5 year old know that word! Keep cool, keep your composure, don't act like anything is wrong, don't draw ANY attention to that*

Luckily, other kids were also blurting out, so they didn't catch it. Now, I have been doing this for 8 years and that was a first! Being I have learned to ignore blurts (when they are done innocently) I kept right on rolling with my lesson, not giving this word any type of attention. Mainly because I was NOT going to be the one to have to explain why this was not the right word OR what this word really means to a bunch of 5 year olds!

My assistant on the other hand.... you could have knocked her over with a feather - her eyes popped so far out of her head. Here I am, moving on, ignoring the comment as if I never heard it and trying to draw attention away from it... and my assistant is over there, repeating "Did you hear what she said? Did you hear what she said?" My assistant obviously missed all the looks that I gave her that were saying... Please shut up and ignore it! Let's NOT draw attention to it!

The poor little girl had no idea what the word meant and when she heard my assistant repeating the question to me started asking "Why, What does it mean? What does it mean?"

Luckily, at this point, another child called out organize. I was then able to turn to this little girl and explain what organize meant! Phew! Imminent disaster avoided!