The Ugly Word List

Today, I did something different during morning meeting.

“Ok, today, we need to talk about something really important.  I have heard some friends saying some not so very nice words to each other.  Do you know what I call those kinds of words?  I call them ugly words.”

Some of them gasp as I am speaking.

“Do you know why I call them ugly words? It is because when you say them, your face doesn’t really look pretty.”

I demonstrate to them what I mean. They giggle because my face looks funny, and I say a mean word.

“Have any of you ever been called an ugly word before?”

“Yes!” They all say Then they proceed to tell me some of the things they have been called.  It takes me a minute to get them to stop, but I need them to stop before someone says a cuss word.

“Ok, I want everyone to think of an ugly word they have been called before or one that would hurt your feelings.  We are going to take a few seconds of private think time and think. Not really bad words bu-

“Like stupid!” one girl shouts out.

Again, the students gasp.

“Yes, like that one.  We will put that at the top of our list.”

They all start shouting out ugly words and laughing.

This is not going to end well.

“Alright, instead of you guys telling me the ugly words, how about I just write some down.”

“Awwww.”

“I know, I know.  Let’s see, we can add mean, dumb, crybaby…” I name a few more and write them down on the ugly word list.

They gasp and giggle as I say each one.

“Now, there is one more super big ugly word.  It is my least favorite one. Do you want to know what it is?”

“Yea!”

“My least favorite ugly word, is can’t”

“Can’t?”

“Yes, can’t. Lime when you say, I can’t tie my shoe, I can’t draw that, I can’t do this. We are not going to say can’t, we are going to say I don’t know how, I have not learned yet, stuff like that. Just not can’t”

“You can say can someone please tie my shoe!” one girl informs us.

“Yes, you can say that.”

I have a few kids act out the right thing to do.  They enjoy this.

“Ok, now we have our list” I hold it up for them to see.  Then I rip it up.

“No Ms. L, no! Don’t rip it up!” some kids shout.

It was rather funny.

“Yes, I am ripping it up and crumpling it up, and we are throwing it away. These are words we do not want to say to our friends. So they are going in the trash!”

“Yea!”  they get excited.

“So, we are not going to say ugly words, right?”

“Right!”

I love these kids.  They crack me up.