Blog Your Blessings: 'Everybody Sit Down!'

Part of the challenge of teaching, like the challenge of parenting, is waiting to see the results and accepting that I may never see the results. I have to live in the hope that I am getting something right and that the right something is landing in the minds and hearts of the kids in my classes. (I have the same hope for my daughter on a much deeper, personal level.)

This week's blessing came from Mark on Monday. He gave me a pretty clear indication something was working in his class. He's a sixth grade boy who couldn't read for beans six weeks ago and often refused to read aloud in class for that reason. He'd come in nervous and agitated and fiddle and fidget with whatever he had. When the music teacher issued him drumsticks, I thought my game was up.

Then Monday came. I handed the kids copies of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that I had bought because that's what they said they wanted to read. They were thrilled to hold new books. They were even careful not to crease the covers so they could keep them new.

Once we got inside, though, there was no stopping them. They took turns reading and even reread when they felt their first time through was short on inflection. We did not get through the first chapter in 45 minutes for this reason. When the bell rang at the end of the class, most of the kids stood up immediately. But then Mark bellowed, "Everybody sit down!" He was not finished with the paragraph and he was not going to be interrupted by any bell. They sat down. He finished. End of class.

Amen. And thank you L. Frank Baum for the magic that keeps these kids in their seats and keeps me going for another day.

Blog Your Blessings