Welcome to Stonebrook

Nine

~Lor~

Today had been an utter disaster. 

1 kid threw up in the back of class and now the room was so heavy with disinfectant and air freshener I felt as bad as he looked. 2 nose bleeds- seriously. 2! 3 temper tantrums, 4 colds. I could start a new Christmas carol at this rate. 'Miss Turner's classroom on February 22nd.' Doesn't quite have the fucking ring to it though. 

Now we were 20 minutes away from the end of day and honestly, I'd given up trying to teach anything. I looked around the class of babbling kids and landed my eyes on an too quiet and too excluded Olivia. All the work we put in last week had practically disappeared today and I know she just needed a push. A gentle reminder that these kids aren't as bad as she thinks they are. Not on my watch anyway. 

Okay Lor. We gotta do something. Pushing your own exhaustion aside for the rest of the day. We gotta get their heads back in the classroom. I had a lightbulb moment and stuck all the kids' names onto a colorful wheel on my computer, sharing it on the screen and standing up. 

"Okay!" The room quietened down quickly. "I know today's been a little- stinky. So we're gonna have some fun before we go home. Ready for the rules?" They all nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna spin the wheel which has everyone's name on the board. Including Miss Turner's. Whoever get's selected has to stand outside whilst the class decides on 2 questions they really want to know about that person. Person outside comes back in and we can ask the questions. How does that sound?" They all looked a little concerned. "Okay. Let's give it a shot, I think it'll be fun. Let's spin it." I pressed the button, spinning the wheel and smiling when it landed on Kennedy. "All right Ken!" 

"Why me?!" 

"Because the wheel picked you kid. Come on. I'll grab a chair." I pulled a chair into the hall. "It won't be long. Think about what question you wanna ask me." 

"Ask you?" 

"Mhm. I'm not excluded. I wanna play too." Kennedy smiled at me and I came back into the room, pushing the door closed. "Okay. What 2 questions do we want to ask Kennedy?" The kids sprouted out all sorts of things from when his birthday was to what his favourite lesson was and I scoffed at how boring they were. We were going for ice breakers here. So when Olivia put her hand up I jumped at her first class interaction. "Olivia!" 

"Would he rather be as tiny as a fly or as big as a whale?" 

"That's a good question!" The class looked at her and then back as me. "That's the kind of things we're looking for. Weird questions you wouldn't normally be able to ask. Any others?" They bounced suggestions off each other and landed on would he rather had a bath in gravy or in jelly and Kennedy thought both the questions were hilarious. I went next, stepping out until Olivia came back to get me. "Okay. What questions have you gotten for me?" 

"Would you rather talk to animals or travel into a story book?" 

"Oh story book for sure." 

"Really?" The class all giggled, now sat on the floor whilst I sat cross legged on my desk. 

"For sure. I love reading almost as much as I love teaching you guys." 

"Which book?" 

"Oh that's hard." I 100% couldn't tell them I'd travel into one of my books. If they go home and ask their parents what my mafia romances are, I'll have to hide in a nuclear bunker for life. "Probably Mr. Popper's Penguins. I love penguins." 

"Really?" 

"Mhm. My favourite animals." I got a collection of oohs and aahs, a few kids trying to waddle in their spots. "Okay. Next question."