Heard in the 'Hood

Here's some favorite quotes that I've heard from my students throughout the school year.


*What time is your birthday?

*After a conversation about only asking to use the bathroom if it’s an emergency, K. offered the very honest response to the students' solution for just wanting to get out of class: “or you could just lie”.

*I was explaining to the students the meaning of “don’t spread yourself too thin” and told them that adults will often say that to each other. A. said, “Oh, so Ms. Chilz, people don’t say that to you.” T. pops in and says, “Yeah, you’re more like a teenager.”


*D. asked me if I have any kids and I gave her the usual response. "I’m not married, and I’m not going to have kids until after I get married.” She then got very concerned and sincerely responded, “Umm, maybe you can go to the club with my mom. I think that’s where she met her husband.”

*We were standing in line getting ready to go on our fieldtrip to the planetarium when A. came up to me to ask me a question. K. looked over and said, “Miss Childs, you could be A.'s mom. You guys look just like each other!” She then asked the kids around her to confirm her observation. They all agreed. (I keep getting more and more black the longer I work here.)


*We talked about words that use a “g” or a “j” but both make the “j” sound. O. proudly came up to show me a sentence she created using the word judge. “My dad has to go see the judge about child support”.


*The power went off for an hour one afternoon . After realizing that the lights were not coming on, D. sincerely asked, “Is it because someone didn’t pay the power bill?”

*"A is for AIDS Ms. Chilz. You know, like the disease. I hope my mama don't get no AIDS."