Annoying things kids say - survey

[Carolyn]

Okay, let's mention the most annoying things that kids say. The "duh" moments, the moments that make you want to pull your hair out. I'll start:

DUH: Kid in my Spanish class: "Do we have to write this in Spanish?" (No, we have to write it in Greek!)

DUH: Another kid in my elementary school Spanish class: "Are we going to sing the Christmas songs in English?" (Of course, why else would I be hired to teach you?)

PULLING OUT MY HAIR: My all-time favorite this week as I'm handing out Christmas song sheets: "I can't read in Spanish!!!!" (And you never will if you think that way!)

 

[Penny]

Reading Improvement

The all time classic: "Do we have to read the whole thing?" (No, only half of it! I love making copies. It makes me feel like a teacher!)

Then there's: "Why do you make us read so much?"
Another kid: "So we can improve! You know, like the name of the class..."

 

[SC]

Annoying questions

What time is it? (When there's a clock on the wall)

Do we have to write in cursive? (after I've already answered that question)

What do I do with my paper when I'm finished? (put it in the same place you put your other finished papers)

 

[judyf]

questions

"Should I use my best printing??"

(no, this time I'm anxious to see your worst!)

 

[Tiffany]

annoying!

Some of my favorites:

I don't get it, said in a whiny voice (usually said about 1.2 seconds after you start your lesson).

Are we going to do work today? (don't we always?)

 

[n2n2n2n]

not kid but parent

Sorry, this is a parent not kid comment

Parent (on phone) "Are the school pictures in yet. I haven't got them yet." (DUH -- Yup, you figured us out. They are sitting right here in the office but this year we aren't sending them home)

Parent (overheard in store) "And I don't know if we are even going to get report cards and have interviews. (DUH --- That's right, after 150 years of reporting regularly to parents, we thought we would change to the rules!!)

 

[Brooke S.]

how about....

when's lunch? (same time as every other day this year)

can I go to the bathroom? (even though I tell my kids they don't have to ask)

It's blah blah blah time, aren't we supposed to do...

 

[SoCalTeach]

Annoying things

I second the one about "I don't get it!". UGH! That phrase is now banned in my classroom.

 

[tia]

my "favorites"

"what do we do with this?" (completed assignment)...uh....look at the board to see what i wrote (and read to you).

and a recent "favorite": but i wasn't here....(whine) oh. i guess if i just don't show up for work on any given day, i'm not responsible for the stuff that is supposed to get done that day? argh! they all know (guess they don't) that they must make up work from absences. they also all know that everyone gets every assignment given each day--left on/in their desk--whether they are at school or not. "i didn't get one....whine....i wasn't here." clue: did you look in your desk? i'll bet there's one there. i have no leftovers, ergo: they were all passed out, ergo: you got yours. it's all i can do to NOT do the "i told you so, i told you so" dance when they sheepishly pull it out of their desk.

oh! that felt surprisingly good!

 

[dkd1173]

Annoying student comments

How about, "do we have to write this down?" No, of course not, I am writing information on the board or overhead just for fun! I also hate "I don't get it." I have kids who say this all the time, usually right after I've thoroughly explained whatever it is they "don't get." Another thing that drives me nuts is when kids tell you what time it is and what the class should be doing at that time, such as it's time for lunch, specials, whatever, usually phrased as, "Did you know it's time for us to go to..." Oh, thanks so much for telling me, because I can't tell time at 32 years old! If my students spent as much time focusing on learning as they do watching the clock, they would all be geniuses! Another one that is banned in my room is, "Are we going out to recess?" (when we go every single day, unless it's raining). My kids know that if they ask that they are risking losing recess time altogether.

 

[Penny]

another one

"Can I get a drink? The water fountain is just across the hall."

Really! When did they put that there? I never noticed!

 

[phoebe611]

yet another one

"Are you gonna take this for a grade?" Why? If I say no then you'll just slap any answer on it. I always tell my kiddos that EVERYTHING is for a grade. It might only be counted toward their effort grade, but that's still a grade.

I also hate the "I don't get it" but being in the south it's more like, "I don't giiiiiiiiit it." And it has to have a whiny, twangy sound to it.

"Do we have to spell it right?" also really gets on my nerves. No, don't spell it correctly, I'll just mark it wrong for ya!!! AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

 

[Teach4]

annoying things

How about:

I couldn't do my homework because of my soccer game, ballet recital, dinner with grandma, etc., etc.

Are we going to have homework? Now we are!!

Can we have extra recess? If we were going to have extra recess I would tell you. And not likely - there is learning to do.

I'm sure I could think of more but. . .

 

[Ima Teacher]

They're predicting snow today, so I'm getting one of my favorites. . .

"Are we going home today?"

No, we're going to keep you forever this time.

This is also one of my favorites. When a kid has been absent, they come back and say, "Did you do anything while I was gone yesterday?"

No, we just sat around hoping you'd show up.

 

[doctafill]

But I didn't DOOO anything!

Here's my all-time favorite whine.....

Teacher says:

"Joe, please give me that water pistol..." (or any other directive..)

"But I didn't doooo anything."

And my favorite comeback?

"That's right, from day one."

 

[Jade]

"Do we hafta do this?" Oh, yes, homework is always optional. (grr)

As I hand out papers after a lesson..."Can we do this now?" No, I absolutely forbid you to do the assignment. (grrrr)

"What are we going to do now?" Have I ever stood in front of the class and said "Good morning children. Please begin." and NOT told you what we're going to do? (grrrrrrrr)


Helpless hopeless Hannahs. GRRRR

 

[Giggles]

Lol:>)

"I wasn't talking." As I am staring at them watching their mouths move up and down!

 

[dkd1173]

Another one

This just happened in my room today:

I said a child's name to get his attention. Note that no one else in my room has the same name as he does, and his name is quite unusual as well...

His response: "Who, me?"

No, the other ten children in the room with your same name!

Sometimes I really wonder what goes on in their little heads!

 

[mksbugs]

Here a few of my 'favorites'

~Does this count?

~I'm done with this (work) where do I turn it in? (when the procedures are clearly known)

~I don't get it (when it couldn't be any plainer when it is written on the board and given orally, and 98% of the class gets it)

 

[c greeen]

My favorites

"I don't get it." Spoken the second I introduce a new concept.

"I wasn't talking." Spoken by child who was talking.

My own name, screamed in a whiny rising tone above a sea of kids talking out of turn.

"What homework?!"

This is not one phrase, but the part that scares me to death is when we've been working on something for days, and the kid doesn't know the first thing. Yesterday:

"Who's Janell?" (She's the MAIN CHARACTER of the story we've been talking about for three days!)

"What's an opinion?" (That's the thing we've been PRACTICING FOR DAYS ON!)

 

[margaretk]

this is fun!

Loving these! Making me feel less alone!

Here's one: "There's a test today?" (After we reviewed for the test the class before, wrote test date on the board, and have been reminding them daily since Monday. ARGGGGG!!)

 

[CindyK]

My favorite

Do I have to put my name on it? (NO, I just want to guess.)

 

[RedSoxGirl]

Hmmm ...

Not much annoys w/ me my little kiddos. Strange because a lot of things do annoy me in general! But I would have to say the one question I get at times that just doesn't make sense to me is, "Do we have to put our name on it?" I just smile and say, "If you want to get it back, you do."

 

[Bonnie gr. 2]

It gets me when...

During the course of the day, there may be 20 trips made to the bathroom. I have stopped going back and giving answers for work that we are doing together to someone who was out. It happens too often. Today someone came back in the room and right away said, "I don't have the answers." The thing is, it was something that they could have done alone but it was faster to do it together right before art.

I have a place on the board where I ALWAYS write any page numbers. i write the number and say it. Someone will say, "What page?" Just look at the board and listen when I speak and you will know.

 

[Eydie]

Kid Comments

Oh, it is good to know that it's not just the kiddos I teach!

Everyday one child or another asks, " Are we gonna do centers today?"

Me, "Yes darling, we do centers EVERYDAY!"

I wonder what they would do if I said, " Nope, not today!"

Also, "What are we gonna do next?"
If they would just hush for half a minute and be patient they would know the answer to that with out asking!