Spring is in the air

Or shall I say spring has sprung. I now remember why I had always wanted to teach elementary age kids. You don't have to deal with hormones and teenage angst. The students in my class get along very well with each other. But I guess they are getting along a little too well in the cafeteria at lunch. What follows is a conversation I had with the school principal. The names have been changed to protect the innocent and to not break confidentiality. My class had just returned from the cafeteria and were taking care of their grooming tasks. This involves them heading down to the bathrooms to check themselves and brush their teeth. For some this is the only time the teeth get brushed. I was at the computer typing up a note to send home to parents about an activity we are going to be participating in on Friday. I heard the kids acknowledge that Mr. Landis had come into the room. Now before I go any farther let me tell you about Mr. Landis. The students call him Mario because they feel he resembles Mario from the Super Mario Brothers game. I however call him Napolean. I think you can guess why. Now, it is not very often that Napolean graces our room with his presence so I knew something had to have happened in the cafeteria. He says to me "We have a budding romance in your room." I acknowledged that yes we had a few love interests going on. I was not however prepared for whom he was about to inform me of. He said that "John" and "Mary" were getting a little too close for comfort. Apparently this had been going on for the past few days and that the day before John and another student were making a "Mary sandwich" at the table. My assistant knew something bad had to be going on because I put my hands to my face and it was turning beet red. I replied that had notice John was getting a little touchy feely with Mary and us. Napolean said that he had a talk with John and explained to him that what he had been doing was inappropriate for school. I talked with John also and I really don't think he understood. You have to remember that physically and chronologically these kids are 19 and 20 years old but mentally and emotionally they are functioning for the most part at about a first grade level. That's about 6 or 7 years old. I don't think he meant anything sexual by what he was doing but yet at the same time he has to know that we don't behave in public like that. I felt so bad when I talked to him because he just kind of hung his head and leaned on my shoulder. I talked with Mary and said that next time he got touchy feely like that she was to tell him that she didn't want him doing that and would rather high five him. I haven't talked to his Mom yet. That should be an interesting conversation. when I told my supervisor she just chuckled and said that Spring was in the air.