ewwwww

Don't get me wrong- I love my job. I adore the kids I work with. But some days you can't help but step back and just be amazed at all we deal with on any given day. And the trouble I face with co-teaching is that I'm exposed to just that many more kids with gross issues.

This morning in my first kindergarten class I'm settling in with one of my kiddos to work on her letters when the instructional assistant brought up another child. "Look!" she instructed and pointed to the girl's hair. Lice eggs are a fairly common occurrence at our school and so I didn't think anything when I glanced at her head, looking for the white egg sacks. They were there, of course, but so were the bugs- many of those long, black bugs crawling around in our little one's head. I'd never seen so many in one head.

poor thing. but, also, ew.

That little one was taken to the clinic and I headed off to my 2nd kindergarten class. We were just about finished with reading workshop and were gathering on the carpet to share when we noticed a wet spot under some one's chair.

yep. Our friend had peed in her seat and decided not to say anything, just skipped off to the rug as the wet puddle slowly spread out along the floor.

ew.

The afternoon came and I headed to first grade. One of our friends volunteered to walk up to the board, but as she stood there she had her hands down the back of her pants. Not just a one-off, 'oops' either. I pulled her aside afterward and asked her if she itched.
"yeah, my bottom itches!" she said, looking surprised that I could tell. I asked her if she thought she needed to go to the clinic, or if she thought she could handle staying in the classroom without scratching.

"I can stay!" she said happily.

She stayed, but I sent her to the sink first.

I feel like I need a long, hot, sterilizing shower after today.