Bless you child

For anyone who needs to combat those Sunday night blues and because I get easily distracted when marking exams.

This happened many, many years ago in my first year of teaching, maybe 1997 - yes, I'm a relic. I was not a form tutor but was attached to a year 7 tutor group to support on the first day of teaching.

The homework diaries were handed out by us and then the tutor read out the key dates for the year for the students to fill in. I don't know why they weren't pre-printed, maybe that was too advanced for the 90s. She just read them out; they were not written on the board. This is an important detail.

So my job is to go around and make sure they are writing everything in in the correct place because, well, you know, year sevens. So Ms Form Tutor (I genuinely don't remember a single colleague's name from that school - I left after a year) tells them the date of the next INSET day and this tiny boy painstakingly writes in Insect day. Now, I don't know if that's just what he heard or he wasn't strong on spelling but it tickled me and I found it both hilariousand adorable. Like was he sitting there thinking this is the day the teachers will all come in and talk about (maybe show too) their favourite insects? Or was he thinking how funny that teacher training has the same name as creepy crawlies? I don't know and I don't care. Since then, I say insect instead of INSET. Every time. Most people don't notice and it often gets no comment but I know what I said.

What funny/random/bizarre things have your students said that made you giggle inwardly or outwardly and think bless you, child?