Post Secret

The morning work assignment one day last week was to write one thing you think nobody knows about you on an index card.  The cards would be used for one of my favorite morning meeting games, for which I know no name other than, "Write One Thing You Think Nobody Knows."  It's particularly hard to think of something to write when you've been with the same looping class for a year and a half--we know a lot about each other.  But apparently not everything!

As the kids headed over to the rug for morning meeting, I collected all of their anonymous facts.  Not realizing these facts would be used for anything other than a form of private catharsis or confidential therapy, Daniel came up to me and whispered, "I wrote something I don't want anybody to know."  "Throw it away and write a new one," I told him, now very curious what he had written.

With all of the index cards, including Daniel's "take two," collected in a neat little stack, we began playing.  I read off each of the cards one at a time and the kids had to guess whose secret it was being revealed.  There were the run-of-the-mill disclosures about favorite Wii games or favorite foods but some of the other cards sounded like the kind of personal confessions one might find at Post Secret.  I hoped for no making fun but the kids handled the sensitive information well.
  
Nobody knows that I have baby dolls in my house and I still play with them.

I am lazy and I like watching TV.

www.postsecret.com

  Many kids shared things that were their favorites.  One student, though, shared something she adamantly, underlined-ly hates.  For this to be what she thought of as her one thing, I wonder how often she thinks about the show.

I hate Monk.  It is a murder movie. 

  Another card shared a secret talent that I would have been just fine not knowing about.  The mental image stayed with me the whole day.

I can spray water out of my eyes if there is some in mine

  My own Thing That Nobody Knows?  A rather obvious one, actually, for anyone who knows me even a little.  My card read, "I am allergic to nuts."  Granted, I hastily jotted it down while also taking attendance and telling someone to walk rather than slide over to morning meeting.  The kids guessed it in half a second flat.  Perhaps I should have used one of these.

  While my disclosure was rather uninspired, nothing beats the vivid, imaginary worlds of third graders.

I climb my tree then when I jump off the tree I land like a spy.


I'm one BB time away from making travel times.  (It means to travel and race.)