As you have seen from the previous two posts, this crew is positively adorable. They are such a bright and lively bunch. They are clever and keep me laughing, but they know when (for the most part) to get serious and get focused.
We are five weeks into the year, and certainly still ironing out how things will work with our expanded numbers. There is a lot of energy here. And a lot of personality. That makes for a perfect environment for creativity to flourish, but also a very challenging one to manage.
I wish I was Superteacher, because then I would definitely have every routine established by now and things would flow perfectly. But, alas, I am just me. Some parts of our day still feel like I am wrangling children--they just aren't entirely independent all at the same time. I am empowering them to be motivated and make learning choices for themselves when I can't be sitting right next to them. But I have learned it is impossible to empower 14 kiddos all at once. It takes time.
And today felt like a three-ring-circus. A few monkeys finished history early, and were doing who-on-earth-even-knows. (Probably hanging from the loft. Or cage fighting in the library. Or acting out the 498th scene from minecraft even when they are reminded every day that our classroom is a MINECRAFT FREE ZONE. [what IS the deal with that game?]) I did what I very rarely, if ever, do. I instated absolute silence. I told them that I needed 1 minute to use the bathroom, and that I didn't want to hear even one teeny-tiny sound coming from them. Nothing. Silence. I even threatened (sorry parents). If I came out and there was talking, no BFG. (That is the end of the day read-aloud. The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl. It keeps us rolling on the floor laughing). The BFG is leverage. Serious leverage.
When I came out, it was perfectly silent. I collapsed on the carpet and talked for a couple of minutes about how most teachers have planning periods or specials or lunch breaks. I explained that I love being with them all day, and that I am over-the-moon crazy about them. But that I never hear silence, and sometimes I need a bit of it. (Teacher friends--I don't venture to say you aren't running around like maniacs all day, as well. We are in maniacal solidarity!)
We finished reading and they packed up their things to head home. I probably could have crawled up in the loft and slept for 12 hours, but it was time to clean up and set up for tomorrow, when we get to start over and do it all again. What a wild ride. God is good!
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