I just want to do something really fun with YOU

I asked my kindergarteners a while back if they were doing anything special for Easter... and that's what one boy said. grinning. dead serious. I would have probably taken him home with me if I knew I could get away with it.

The other ESL teacher showed me what one of her 5th graders had written for a personal narrative. The only requirements for the story were that it was 1) true and 2) actually happened to them. His story started out "One day my family and about 20 other people walked for 5 hours in Texas..." He told about how cops came and his uncle shot them. The cops shot other people in the group and killed them, while his parents hid him in a backpack. His story was called Crossing The Border.

One of my first graders sings e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Whether we are reading poems or narratives or instructions, when it's his turn to read, he sings the words to a made up tune. He is also currently in love with the word awkward and will use it whenever he gets the chance. The other day another boy shared a (fairly) normal comment, and this boy rolls over on his back with his legs and arms up in the air shouting "that was sooo awkward." so good.

A second grader shared that his dad told him he could start wearing boxers instead of tighty whiteys. in front of the whole class. in the middle of a lesson on maps.

The other day the same ESL teacher I work with was having a conversation with one of her 5th graders. I couldn't hear all the details, but the girl was voicing her worries and concerns about middle school. She was scared. not ready. The last words I heard as the girl was leaving the room was "I'll pray for you." They jolted me. It was words I've heard so many times in my life, but it was a collision of worlds hearing it in my public school classroom. What redeeming, intentional words filled with such potential in a space that is often a breeding ground for frustration.

Today, I showed my kids a series of pictures and had them tell me what they saw. One of the pictures was a little boy playing a trumpet to some toy bears. A boy in class raised his hand and said "He is playing a trombone." My heart surged and I got a huge smile on my face. No, he was not playing a trombone, but the fact that this boy was even a) close and b) knew the word 'trombone' made me so proud and happy. He doesn't even know all the letters of the alphabet.

Teaching is made of thousands of these moments-- teachable ones, happy ones, encouraging ones, take-your-breath-away-for-a-second ones and straight up FUNNY ones. So glad for each.