~and she loved us kids very much~
We did the Macarena in class yesterday.
Yes, that's right. We did the Macarena.
Every once in a while, you have to do that. At some point in time, a teacher has to take a step back and breathe for a moment, while at the same time allowing the kids to do the very same thing.
Breathe.
Just plain old breathe.
There was really a method to my madness. It's not like I just thought~
Yesterday was also the day assigned for those 4 kids to be able to share another activity that they learned at the conference. Sickness had caught up with one of the students, but the other 3 kids, in true leadership style, took care of the activity. It was so fun to watch them all trying to "Save Sam", a gummy worm who found himself atop a capsized boat with his gummy lifesaver preserver stuck underneath it. Pairs of students who were armed only with a single paperclip each were tasked with using teamwork and cooperative learning skills to save a gummy worm from certain peril. Our room got noisy, kids were laughing, no one was in their seats, and oh yeah, something else was happening.
They were LEARNING!
At the end of it all, I shared my birthday cake from last week's 64th celebration. It was a chocolate one with plenty of good frosting spread upon it. I cut it into the prescribed number of pieces and we had so much that there was more than a plenty to share. After their desks and faces were cleaned up of chocolate residue, I spoke with them one more time before getting everyone ready to return to their classwork.
The countenance upon my face must change when I'm talking to the kids about things that are bothering me. I never thought about it before, but yesterday it struck me that it surely must. I generally begin my serious talks in just about the same way with the words "you guys". When I do, the countenance upon their faces definitely makes a change as well.
I told them,
The day was soon over and I sent them all on their way home. All that was left were the memories of what had happened to us on the 1st day of November, 2019. Sooner than we can imagine, we will find ourselves at the end of this school year. We will all say the very same thing as we wonder, "Where are on earth did this year go?"
When the last day of school arrives in mid-May, I will stand at the doorway and bid farewell to the first group of 5th graders that I have ever taught in more than 4 decades of teaching. Surely I hope that I have prepared them to be ready as 6th graders in the upcoming school year. When they walk out the door on that very last day, I truly hope they remember one thing in their hearts about our time together. In the years that will lie ahead of them and long after I am gone from this earth, I hope they can look to someone and say~
Yes, that's right. We did the Macarena.
Every once in a while, you have to do that. At some point in time, a teacher has to take a step back and breathe for a moment, while at the same time allowing the kids to do the very same thing.
Breathe.
Just plain old breathe.
There was really a method to my madness. It's not like I just thought~
"I'm tired of doing math. We're doing the Macarena instead kids!"No it wasn't like that at all. A week ago last Friday, I was able to attend a leadership workshop with 4 of my students. One of the presenters taught the kids how to determine the kind of leaders they were by taking a look at their character traits. It was really interesting to see how the kids determined their leadership style. At the end of that part of the training, the kids learned to do the Macarena as they used the symbols for certain animals that were assigned to their leadership style.
Yesterday was also the day assigned for those 4 kids to be able to share another activity that they learned at the conference. Sickness had caught up with one of the students, but the other 3 kids, in true leadership style, took care of the activity. It was so fun to watch them all trying to "Save Sam", a gummy worm who found himself atop a capsized boat with his gummy lifesaver preserver stuck underneath it. Pairs of students who were armed only with a single paperclip each were tasked with using teamwork and cooperative learning skills to save a gummy worm from certain peril. Our room got noisy, kids were laughing, no one was in their seats, and oh yeah, something else was happening.
They were LEARNING!
At the end of it all, I shared my birthday cake from last week's 64th celebration. It was a chocolate one with plenty of good frosting spread upon it. I cut it into the prescribed number of pieces and we had so much that there was more than a plenty to share. After their desks and faces were cleaned up of chocolate residue, I spoke with them one more time before getting everyone ready to return to their classwork.
The countenance upon my face must change when I'm talking to the kids about things that are bothering me. I never thought about it before, but yesterday it struck me that it surely must. I generally begin my serious talks in just about the same way with the words "you guys". When I do, the countenance upon their faces definitely makes a change as well.
I told them,
"You guys, I noticed something after doing the Macarena. There was a change and it really wasn't about you. It was about me. I found myself smiling more and as a matter of fact, I was smiling way more than I have in several days. It was because we were having something we need to have a whole lot more of and that would be having FUN. I'm sorry that the seriousness of the school day and the overwhelming demands of covering the curriculum sometimes get in the way of having times like these. Thanks for having some fun with me and with one another."
The day was soon over and I sent them all on their way home. All that was left were the memories of what had happened to us on the 1st day of November, 2019. Sooner than we can imagine, we will find ourselves at the end of this school year. We will all say the very same thing as we wonder, "Where are on earth did this year go?"
When the last day of school arrives in mid-May, I will stand at the doorway and bid farewell to the first group of 5th graders that I have ever taught in more than 4 decades of teaching. Surely I hope that I have prepared them to be ready as 6th graders in the upcoming school year. When they walk out the door on that very last day, I truly hope they remember one thing in their hearts about our time together. In the years that will lie ahead of them and long after I am gone from this earth, I hope they can look to someone and say~
"Once I had a teacher in the fifth grade. Her name was Mrs. Renfro and she loved all of us kids very much."
64 is a wonderful age to be!
I truly wish there had been a way for all 21 of my kids to attend "Lead Like Me".
These four leaders came back from the conference with plenty of ideas to teach the 17 other leaders in our classroom who were not able to be there.
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