Thoughts about God

So, I was eavesdropping on a conversation among several of my students yesterday afternoon during dismissal:

Student 1: So, sometimes I have some really big questions. Like, who put Jesus on Earth?
Student 2 (in a very matter-of-fact way): God. (Like, doesn't everyone know that?! C'mon!)
Student 1, 3, and 4: Oh...yeah.
Student 1: Well, what about who put God on Earth?
Students 2-4 (very pensively, heads nodding): Hmmm...
Students 1-5: silence
Students 1-5: all eyes and heads slowly turn to me (the pastor's wife)
Me: Well, you know "they" say that God is the beginning and the end. Guess that means he was here first, before anything else. Huh? (I leave it at that and hope that this one comment doesn't put my career in jeopardy!)

Don't you just love it?

Blockbuster Buddies

Scene: Blockbuster Video Store, Friday, October 26, 6:30pm

Chris and I were waiting in a serpentine line wiggling around the perimeter of Blockbuster last night. We must have had the same idea as everyone else wanting to snuggle in front of the television on a chilly, wet Friday night.

The line was inching along when I spotted a talkative little guy a few people ahead of us. This young man, probably about 4 years old or so, was very interested in all of the goodies on the "snack shelf"...water bottles (aka bowling pins), gummy bears, and other sugary goodness. He proceeded to mimic his father by plucking a bag of gummy bears off the shelf and studying the back label. Although I couldn't hear his exact words, he clearly was hoping his daddy would buy the candy for him. The boy's pleading eyes followed his dad's face as it descended to his eye level. As dad squatted in front of his son, he seemed to be having a calm heart-to-heart with his tiny tot about the fact that they wouldn't be buying any candy this evening. All of a sudden I saw the little boy squat down and continue the conversation with his dad. The image was priceless. Kudos to dad for not getting upset and having the patience to talk to his son in this way.

Enjoying the View

I've started something new this year called Independent Reading Time. Not really that novel (pardon the pun). Basically, it's just fifteen minutes of silent reading at the beginning of our reading block each day. Everyone in the room is absolutely silent and reading--wherever they wish. I have kids scattered all over the room: in my director's chair, under my desk, lounging on a beanbag chair, and hunkered in a little nook.

Well, yesterday, I had one little fella march right over to my desk to claim my chair as his reading spot. Oh, I forgot to mention that we have construction going on...right outside of our classroom windows...our long-awaited playground. Now, let's just say this small man has a bit of trouble focusing throughout most of the day. Well, he proceeds to turn around my chair 180 degrees so that he is now facing out the windows. He even props his feet up! I'm surprised he didn't lock his hands together behind his head! I observed him for a bit and realized that he didn't even have a book in his hands! He was just thoroughly enjoying the spectacle outside! His eyes met mine and I winked at him. He quickly scrambled to grab his book and open it. Whether or not my little friend read a word from his book doesn't really matter, I guess, I know he enjoyed his front row seat. Maybe I should take a lesson from him...sometimes, you've just got to stop and enjoy the view...it might be a once in a lifetime chance.

From the Mouths of Babe

This is just about the cutest thing I've seen in a long time!

Tabula Rasa

In T-minus seven days, I will be welcoming twenty-two cleanly scrubbed, curious, nervous, white tennis-shoed third graders into their new classroom. The smell of new crayons, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and what I like to call the "recess scent" will quickly be absorbed into our classroom walls and the cobwebs and stale summer air will be replaced.

This summer has provided me with the time to reflect upon last year and decide what I'd like to change for the upcoming year. One of the true joys and advantages of being in education, compared to many other professions, is that each August provides us with a clean slate, a "tabula rasa," not only for teachers, but for kids as well. I hope that the lessons I learned last year and the observations I've made throughout the past six years will help me to become a more effective teacher in this setting. So that, come spring when my slate isn't so clean anymore and the crayons are worn down, and maybe even broken, I can be proud of where we've come as a class and celebrate the accomplishments we've made.

New 7 Wonders of the World

Profound Thoughts...

So, I've mentioned previously about some profound thoughts of my third graders. This week we've been taking a look at the book, Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose and his daughter, Hannah. This captivating picture book is written as a dialogue between a little boy and an ant. In an early illustration the youngster is poised with his sneaker hovering above a little ant with suitcases in tow. They debate about the value of the ant's life and whether or not it should be spared. Really, it's a philosophical book about the value of life if you dig deep enough.

We attempted to answer the question today, "Should the ant's life be spared?" by creating a yes/no list. My students came up with 8 different rationales on both sides.

My favorites under "yes":

1. Ants are a gift from Mother Nature.
   
2. Ants help clean up our property by eating crumbs.
   
3. Ants deserve life, liberty, and happiness, too (we studied the Declaration of Independence this year!)

My favorites under "no":

1. Anthills mess up our yards.
2. When ants infest our houses, they bring their predators inside, too!
3. Ants can spread germs and bacteria!

I highly recommend this book. It is well written, has darling illustrations, and generates some pretty interesting conversations!

P.S. We finally decided that the boy should definitely not smoosh the ant.