Kids think the darnedest things...

This morning I had a little talk my kids about doing their classroom jobs. I told them that I am not going to remind them to do their assigned jobs. If they want to be rewarded for doing their jobs, then they need to take the initiative to do the work. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Now, I don't have anyone to tell me to do my job. No one tells me to plan my lessons. No one tells me how to teach you guys. I know what I am supposed to teach, but how I do it is up to me.

Student: Really? No one tells you?

Me: Really.

Student: But doesn't Mrs P (principal) tell you what sheets to COPY?

Me: Uh, no.

Student: I always thought Mrs P told you all what to use and what not to use.

Okay, apparently my principal doesn't tell me what to teach, but she does make me run copies of things.

Later on in the conversation we rambled on to how the kids were placed into each class.

Student: So you didn't get to choose who was in your class?

Me: No.

Student: So you have no idea who you're getting? 

Me: No idea.

Student:So who chooses?

Student 2: I thought a computer just ran a list and placed each group. (I'm thinking they think this because there is a computer generated list that is printed out in August.)

Me: No, what actually happens is your 4th grade teacher has a stack of cards with your name on it, and they literally shuffle the cards and put each name under each teacher for the next grade. They choose who goes into each class. You're in this room for a reason because they try to match up personalities of students and teachers. 

DEAD SILENCE. Obviously this is a total revelation. I wish I could say we had a more sophisticated way of doing this, and I'm sure the computer does it in middle and high school, but in elementary, it's much more rudimentary.

I wonder what else kids think about the world in general.