Teacher:1 Student:0

Often teaching means being just a bit smarter than you students. Thankfully as I teacher 5 and 6 year olds it's not usually too difficult to be smarter than them.

When lining up to leave the lunch room I was standing at the head of the line watching as everyone got into line. About halfway back R raised his hand, 'Teacher, I think maybe I cut in line'. Though I would normally honor this form of confession I could see where this was going. R's best friend (and partner in crime) was in the back of the line. My usually rule is if you cut or get out of line you get back in the back of the line, R knows this. 

Instead of responding with 'Ok, get in the back of the line' I instead came back with, 'Ok, that's two minutes off your recess time (a common punishment at my school). He immediately began with 'But I didn't say I did cut it line,  I said I thought I might have. I didn't really!!!' 

Before sending my class to recess I pulled him aside and told him what I'd seen and why he'd wanted to get in the line. He was shocked that his cleaver plan had been found out. 

He got two minutes for lying.