I think this is about my tenth Kentucky Mealworm Derby over the years, and it still absolutely belly-laugh cracks me up. There are some things about teaching that are beyond a hoot, like hearing children cheer on mealworms.
Smile with me
On Why Teachers Adore Teaching . . .
Delightful “thriving” snippets overheard in our room this morning:
*(At the end of math class)
“Miss Blessing, the math drawer in my brain is overflowing right now!”
*(During Writer’s Workshop one-on-one conferencing)
Miss Blessing: “What would you like to talk about in your writing today?”
Second Grader: “Well, I was wanting to see what you think about moving around these parts of my writing so it will make more sense. The organization doesn’t seem quite right. See, here I am talking about the schoolhouse at Tunbridge Fair, and next is this detail about the old bicycle outside. I think I should move that to after the schoolhouse part because it seems strange right in the middle of it.” (Wow! Thank you, first grade teacher!)
*(Grabbing a water bottle during a transition)
“After that, my brain needs some water to help it grow!”
Principal Love
Miss Hellickson paid us a visit during our Teambuilding time this afternoon,
so we put her to work!
Thank you for being the best principal in the history of principals!
Ponderous Thought
Occasionally, we assume the position of ponderous thought.
And oh, the thoughts these ponderous thinkers think!
A Smile to Share
Student-led conferences bring many lovely shared moments, and here is one precious jewel.
Student: One goal I would like to include is to conquer the Forty Book Challenge this year.
Parent: You have to read FORTY books?
Student: Well, no . . . . We can read more.
Close Encounters of the Preschool Kind
Friday was the first day of preschool and kindergarten, and I hung out at lunchtime to help the teachers on duty open yogurt tubes or mop up spilled applesauce. I sat down next to one dear preschooler for some conversation.
“Hi! I’m Miss Blessing.”
“I’m W, and I’m four years old,” he confidently answered.
“I teach the big 2nd and 3rd graders, and we’ll be your book buddies this year.”
“Do you do tricky things?”
“I hope so! I like to make my students’ brains get very excited.”
“Good. I like tricky, tricky things, you know.”
And that is why teachers run to school every day.
Growing Learners
Each year as we count down to the last days of school, I offer more and more leadership opportunities to the students. Some of these are in the form of academic choice to celebrate their stretched abilities from a year of growing. Some are in the form of social leadership. One opportunity is that of leading parts of our morning meeting, designing their own greetings and activities, giving clear directions, and encouraging others to succeed.
This year I chuckled more than usual at the imaginative offerings. We greeted each other with the Scorpion Sting, which was a sight to behold as we stretched our heads backwards like a curling stinger. Here you will peek at “Whac-a-Tick” with a rolling black ball scuttling off to the next young learner, a childlike honest response to New England springtime these days. What a hoot!
Oh, the Places My Book Will Go!
Where do you think I read yesterday? You’ll never guess!
Faith and her mom met me at the Grantham Park and Ride for a little visit, and while we were there, Faith smoothly and expressively read one of her latest summer books to us, a book that her sister Bethany shared with her from when she was Faith’s age! We giggled right there in the parking lot.
Faith’s review of Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes (author AND illustrator)
“It is very funny! Two mice are best friends and do all kinds of things together. They have their own way of doing things. Then a new mouse named Lilly comes, and at first they aren’t sure about her. Then Lilly rescues them with her crazy costume, and the three mice actually like to play together. They become best friends. All three wear disguises, swallow watermelon seeds together, and have fun. At the end, another new mouse comes. What do you think happens next?
I especially liked how they learned to do different things because Lilly had new ideas, maybe ones they hadn’t thought of before. I think the illustrations are very funny too. Maybe Miss Blessing can read this book as part of our team building at the start of the new year.”
So it probably isn’t what you usually do in the parking lot, but why not read EVERYWHERE?!!! Send us your reading photo for our collection. What crazy place are you reading?
More Than Half Full
Today at snack time:
“Wow, my yogurt just exploded in my lunch box! All my baggies of food are covered with yogurt!” exclaimed one of my second graders.
“What would you like to do to solve that problem?”
Student begins carefully licking the yogurt off each bag. “I’m a good steward of my resources,” commented my enterprising optimist.