jewel of teaching advice

6th grade student: "'Zup, Miznip?" (in his typical semi-disrespectful-trying-to-get-a-reaction way)

me:  "Nothing much.  Just walking around, helping kids with their projects."

student: "You spozeda say it all gyangsta."

me:  "Sorry, I'm just a white girl from Iowa."

And thus concludes the first time I managed to connect with this particular student in the two and a half weeks I've had him in class.  He literally fell out of his chair onto the floor laughing (at which point I reminded him he was in the Art Room, and the floor is kind of gross).  I overheard him retell our exchange at least 3 times.  The rest of class period he was all smiles to me without a shred of attitude.  If I'd known it was that easy, I would have told him two weeks ago that I was a white girl from Iowa.