What's in a Name?

     A couple years ago I gave my students a survey about me at the end of the year.  I have to say it was mostly for my entertainment to see what stood out to them over the year.  I asked them questions like, what is something your teacher wears all the time, who are your teacher's friends at school, what is your teacher's favorite thing to eat for lunch, etc.

     There was one question that cracked me up when I read their responses.  The question was, "What is something your teacher says all the time? and most of the students in the class answered, "Don't touch the gong!"  I loved this response because I really had no idea that I said it so much.

     My parents gave me a gong for my classroom a few years ago for my birthday.  I typically don't bring anything to work if it is slightly sentimental because I know that working with kids, things break.  The gong was for school though so I have it on my desk and students are always asking if they can ring it or touch it and apparently that is always my response.  

     Any time I say it now it stands out and I think about that class pointing it out to me.  I definitely recommend giving students a survey at the end of the year because it is interesting to see what they notice and how they take some of the things that are said or happen in class.