They sure do learn early.

The other day I checked Jack's behavior folder to make sure I'd initialed it on the correct date. When I opened it up I found that I had indeed not signed it, so I initialed it before putting it back in his backpack. As I was signing, I noticed that on the date before there was a small "MA" in the box. I figured Caroline had gotten hold of the folder and did some "artistic improvements" to it. I signed that date as well and then put it back and went on with my morning routine.

Later on in the day, I was going around and signing the students' agendas in my classroom. At the end of each day I go around to each desk and check to make sure they've put their homework assignment down and see if there are any notes from parents that I need to respond to. As I was going around, the kids that aren't in band and orchestra were talking about my initials and how I sign the agendas. One kid said, "You know Mrs. H---, it took me awhile to figure out that you were putting your initials in my planner. I always thought you were putting Ma and I never knew what that meant."

"Oh my gosh!" I thought. "He's right! My initials do look like MA because I'm signing fast." Then it dawned on me that in Jack's class, the kids get a "tribble" each time they bring back their behavior folder signed. A tribble is basically a ticket that students can use to buy fun trinkets or privileges. Jack had tried to forge my signature so he could get his tribble that day!

A few days later, I noticed that he again had tried to sign my initials, and I must add he didn't do THAT bad of a job. He'd mentioned the day before that he was learning cursive in his class. So after school yesterday I talked to him about not signing my name on things and why that wasn't such a good idea. When he's much older I'll talk to him about when a good time would be to do that as long as he tells me that he did it (my mom used to do that for us when we were in high school).

They sure do learn things early.