Smiles...

The whole school is going to turn in writing assignments from each of their classrooms twice a year. These assignments are going in their permanent files, so it's a big deal. This is the first one due. The next one is due in April.

For some of them, writing takes FOREVER, so I tried to give them as much free time as possible to work on it. One afternoon, while they SHOULD have been working on their papers, I noticed a couple of kids talking, and not about writing (One of the skills I've acquired since I've been teaching is being able to easily spot the kiddos NOT talking about school work; it's like second nature).

The conversation that followed:

Me: Sammy, are you talking about writing or about something else?
Sammy(loudly, with no shame): Talking about something else.

(There's a pause of me giving him the 'you know you shouldn't do that, get to work' stare)

Sammy: What do you want me to do? LIE?!

He had me there. I did acknowledge his honesty, as a I smiled to myself.