what’s it to you?

Date February 28, 2008

I like to think of lesson planning as a sort of guide, a map even, but never anything set in stone.  I’m open to change.  I do, after all, live in Colombia.  Today we didn’t follow the map at all.  We made an adventure of our own and where we ended up was, well, beautiful.

Some days it’s just hard to be a teacher.  Kids are cranky.  I’m cranky.  It rains.  The projector doesn’t work.  The chapter in our read aloud is too long to finish before lunch.  And lunch.  Lunch.  Is rice again.  Today was one of those days.  So, after rice again, we took a little detour.

I asked the children to close their eyes and listen.  I whispered the word “beauty” and asked them to picture it.  To think really hard about it.  To paint their picture.  And then, I just let them think awhile.  The silence was my beauty and  I told them so.  But their pictures were so much better than mine.  ” My mom.”  ” A day on my horse.”  “You, Miss.” “Dancing with my Papa.”  “Puppies.”  ” When the sun comes up.”  “When you read.”  ” All the different greens in the mountains.”  “Waterfalls in the river.”  “Mississippi.”  “My name when you say it.”

Now, that’s beauty.

Category Posted in colombia

3 Responses to “what’s it to you?”

  1. me.. do I HAVE to put my name? said:

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    Wow! I’m sure if I did that my kids would give me garbage… Well, some of them would. That made me remember sitting in your room grading papers while I listened to you tell beautiful stories (about Australia, the Old South, swimming, summers, and if I got lucky me). 🙂 I love you today.

  2. Emily said:

    February 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

    I love you every day, but today especially. Thank you for reminding me of days telling stories. Rest assured that you’re in all of them here.

  3. Misty said:

    March 5th, 2008 at 3:16 pm

    Beautiful story – I could relate. I especially liked the beauty in silence part. 🙂
    I know how difficult it is to trudge daily in a job that seems worthless, teaching kids that are spoiled and apathetic, but I also know what it feels like to have that one day where the dirt, grime, and the RICE are all erased by students who GET IT! Students who touch your heart with their words and your soul with their innocence.
    Happy Wednesday – I am glad to be able to share in the JOYS and the ACHES of teaching!