Fun lessons... why do I bother?

Ok so today, while the other children were in assembly (or assemberly as they call it) I had a small group of children in the classroom with me to practise some maths and this time I was giving them real life problems to solve (never say I don't learn from my mistakes!). Anyway in such a scenario I often make up problems regarding the group of penguins that lives in my back garden. Those of you who have even on ounce of common sense will realise that of course I don't have any penguins living at my house but for some reason the children always go along with it. I might even dare to say they enjoy the penguin problems.

Anyhoo the first couple of problems I gave them involved a large number of the penguins flying south for the winter. At first they didn't bat an eyelid and dutifully worked out the difference between the number of penguins before and after, then much hilarity ensued when they realised that a) penguins apparently already live in the south and b) penguins can't fly. Seriously, their sides were splitting about that.

Apart from one boy.

Stoney-face boy.

The lesson continued as follows...

Amiable teacher: Ok people, how about this one. (reading off my little whiteboard complete with sketch of penguin). I bought 176 turnips to share between my 6 remaining penguins (I know, I know, but I have to entertain myself somehow and there is something inherently funny about turnips). How many would they have each, if I shared them equally? Now before you start, who can tell me what we are actually being asked to do?
Stoney-faced boy: (hand in air) I've spotted a problem with this question too.
Amiable teacher: Oh, what?
Stoney-faced boy: (Stoney-faced) I don't think penguins like turnips.
Amiable teacher: No, you're right. They probably don't. How would you work out how many they had each though?
Stoney: (turning to his whiteboard, chuntering quietly) they probably don't want any...
Amiable teacher: (Encouragingly) Choppy choppy!
Stoney: (really grumbling now) I don't like turnips either I don't think.
Amiable teacher: (losing rag slightly but in a sort of calm, sinister way) Well then, hurry up or you can eat the remainder.

It didn't seem to matter that there were no real turnips in sight, the threat of the remainder was enough and he finished his work. His grumpiness really amused me.

On a good note, "Not Connor" (see previous post) actually did some work in two lessons today. Also in science we were investigating how the shape of a foil boat affects how many coins it will hold before it sinks. Needless to say, we spent a fair while pouring over a tank of water filled with bits of silver foil. It made me glad I don't work in an office and they would almost certainly not pay me to make foil boats and then sink them whilst humming the tune from "Titanic".