Just Call Me Smacktalk

(Carson emulating his Uncle Dan, who Carson watched every Friday night at the high school football game)

"Just call me, Smacktalk," said the 3rd grade boy as I called his name for vision/hearing screening.

"Smacktalk?" I inquired.

"Yep. Me and some other boys formed a group on the playground and we all have to have 'tough' names," he told me.

Inwardly I started smiling and thought to myself, "that is exactly what little boys should be doing. Forming groups and giving each other 'tough' names out on the playground."

Outwardly, I replied, "I like your real first name. That's what I'm going to call you."

"Ok," he said and we proceeded on with his vision/hearing screening.

That is what started this past week; a week that highlighted the differences between boys and girls.

A few days later, I read this hilarious post by my friend Jessica, who continues to discover that boys are just different creatures. Reading her post, reminded me that boys not only like to make messes with foodstuffs, they also find ways to make themselves into superheroes--this usually involves permanent markers--while girls would prefer to find mom's make-up and make themselves into princesses. When Carson was little, he found the markers and made himself into Darth Maul--not exactly a superhero, but oh well.

Anyway, more differences popped up all week long, culminating in a staff meeting on Friday where the principal shared some news from a conference that she attended, where the guest speaker presented on...wait for it...

Boys and girls learn differently!

OK, so I shouldn't be so snarky. I should actually be glad that someone in the educational setting is finally starting to realize that boys and girls are different and that perhaps they way we have been teaching lately is not the best way for our boys to learn. So now that she has this information, let's see if anything changes.