There are days when I feel like I have the best job in the world and then, like every one else, there are days when I feel the exact opposite. Today was one of those days when I felt like my job could not get any better. It began with letting the 1st-4th graders into the school building and supervising them inside the hallway doors (too cold to stand outside) until the bell rang. Just watching them interact with one another gets my day started off right! They are so full of energy and goodness. They are so eager to be at school and around each other. They teach me so much in just their very simple being-ness. Their smiles and innocence. Their playfulness and willingness. They are just simply being and that becomes more difficult for us adults if you think too much like I do sometimes. They are my constant reminder to just be. I am so lucky.
I teach Kindergarten through 8th grade and get to spend time each day with children ranging from ages five to fourteen. They all have so much to offer and so much to teach me.
The other day one of my second graders (who is not like one of my rock star students who loves learning…yes I have those type of kids) said, “Señora B, are we going to learn any new words today?” I told him no and he seemed so disappointed. I was surprised because he doesn’t usually seem like he is that engrossed in Spanish class. I told him I was going to read them one of my favorite books today SkippyJon Jones because we are learning the words, book, write and read in Spanish. He raised his hand AGAIN with such excitement saying, “Señora B, you said we weren’t going to learn any new words today.” I told him, I know. He raised his hand again and was so pumped telling me, “But you just taught us a new word!!!” I said, “What? I did?” He was overjoyed to tell me that I had just taught them the word for FAVORITE in Spanish. I asked, “Well, when?” He said, “Just now, you just taught it to us.” And then he perfectly pronounced the word “favorito” in Spanish.
I had told them in Spanish the name of “mi libro favorito” and he was so excited to learn that word favorito. It was so great to see him so pumped about a new Spanish word, but it caught me off guard because I had not intentionally taught my twenty-two second graders any thing at all. They are just little sponges and so excited to learn any thing that I offer up to them!
This is why I teach! This is why I am here! This is why I am writing this blog to express my appreciation, my gratitude and my constant bewilderment and enjoyment in this world where I exist to teach and learn from others (big and small) along the way!
Be the change... 