The Return

Today was the first day back at school. After a week of sleeping in, lounging around and watching INSANE amounts of television, I was ready and willing to return to my classroom. Apparently, so were the kids. We had a very productive day and there were multiple moments when I was amazed by them.

I had three new students today, all 4th graders. If you are not a teacher, then you have no idea how absolutely disruptive it is for everyone when students move mid-year. Not only is it hard for the student who moved, but it is also difficult for the teacher to re-explain all the things that the rest of the class spent a whole trimester learning in a quick 5 minute tour. My students jump to the rescue immediately. They all pitch in with helping the new students learn the ropes as smoothly and as quickly as possible. New students only feel out of place for about 4 minutes in my room! I love that about my class.

Before the break, we were studying double digit multiplication. I was terrified that after a week of no school all that information that I had been cramming into their little heads would have all dribbled out their ears. So we did a review today. I wrote a sample problem up on the board (52 x 93) and asked a student who had been struggling to help me complete it. When they "help" me they have to tell me every single thing, up to and including exactly where to write the numbers. And if they don't use the proper terminology I get "confused" and can't follow their instructions. Anyway, this kid walked me through the whole problem without stumbling even once. I was thrilled. Later, I asked another student who struggles in math to do a more difficult problem (316 x 25) and she, too, was able to walk me through the whole thing. I couldn't praise them enough!! I am so proud of them for remembering the things they worked so hard to learn and I am proud of myself for teaching it in a way that they understand and remember. It was one of those moments that makes it all worth while.

This trimester we will be focusing on responding to literature with both grade levels. They have a book report due soon, so I was showing them exactly how I expect it to be done. "On this part of the mobile (We do COOL book reports, not boring ones!) you will tell me the theme, or the main idea, of the story. I am using Charlotte's Web for my report. Who can tell me what the theme of that story is?"
One of my boys amazed me with this - "Friends never die. No, 'cause she DID die. Um. Friendships never die. 'Cause Wilbur will always be her friend."
And then one of my girls put it into a wonderful complete sentence for us. "In Charlotte's Web, Wilbur learns that although friends may die, friendships never do."
DAYUM! I love it when they overacheive like that! I told them that they had set my expectations pretty darn high and that I would be expecting the best book reports ever! :)

It's days like these that make it all worth while. Moments that show you are making an actual difference in the way kids think and act. These are the days that give me the energy to get out of bed and into my classroom after three days of non-stop rain and several run-ins with "interesting" parents. I take these days and store them away, like a squirrel storing nuts, because they are my spiritual sustenance. They are my hope.