Brocc-o-love

My eighth graders just started a vegetable unit this week.  They freakin' lost it when they found out.  See, I had told them we were going to do a cake unit when we got back from Spring Break.  But then almost half of them told me they were Catholic and had given up sweets for Lent.  And I am not going to have Cupcake Wars if no one is going to get to enjoy the cupcakes. 

So vegetables it is.

Today we were planning our lab for tomorrow.  They are making cheesy broccoli rice casserole.  Tasty, right?  They don't think so.  They hate broccoli. 

Hate.  Broccoli.

You know I love vegetables.  Especially broccoli!  So I had to keep telling myself that them hating broccoli doesn't mean they hate me.  I love broccoli, but I am not broccoli.

I am not broccoli.

So there we are, talking broc.  They are reading aloud all these super fun important facts about how great and awesome broccoli* is and we get to one about how broccoli is so great for your bowel health.  Ha.

Let me tell you... if you ever get the chance to talk about bowels with 12-year olds, you totally should.  It's a great way to get them involved in the conversation.  I mean, it was like a snooze fest in there until bowels came up.  Then all of a sudden everyone had something to say.

Anyways...  later in the day I was in the hall with my 6th-graders when one of my eighth grade gals walked by and said hi.  I asked what she was up to and she responded:

"Just going to the bathroom.  Ya know... probably from the broccoli."

Okay, so I may not have convinced them to like vegetables** but at least they now know why they should eat them.  That's called learning.  My kids are learning.  I'm a teacher.

*I am not broccoli.
**Yet.