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.

23.0

No, this isn't the distance of a marathon.

In 23.0 days, the school year will officially be over. I guess it has been sort of like a marathon for me...pacing, perseverance, focus. There were days that I didn't think I'd ever see the end. Tough days, frustrating days, tiring days. It's been a tough year for me.

As a child, I counted down the days until summer vacation. I didn't think teachers would do the same thing. As a matter of fact, I was appalled that teachers would do such a thing. I mean, weren't you supposed to love what you do? Standing on the other side, now, I see that the job of being a teacher can be draining. Maybe even more so than being a student.

So, as I wind down and eagerly anticipate sleeping in on June 18th, I wish for each of you, whether you're a teacher or not, a time to refill, a time to renew, and a time to refresh.