FrIdaY afternoon, our amazing
ThiRd GrAdE BuDdiEs were making their weekly visit. The
BuDdiEs were hard at work finishing up their
How To books...you know, How to Make a PBJ, How to Make a Paper Airplane, etc. My
FiFtH GrAdErS were supposed to be leading their third grade buddies in the effort.
As I walked around the room to ensure that everyone was on task, I stopped at a table of four boys working together on their book...well, one boy was working on the book while the others were being
SuPpOrTivE observers :).
In an attempt to
EnCouRaGe a
TeAm effort, I simply said, "The whole group is supposed to be working on the book. Why are
ThReE of you just watching G do all the work?"
Their response: "We're taking turns coloring the book 'cuz we already stapled the pages together."
My response: A
PuZzLeD look followed by...."That's why you're supposed to
StApLe it once it's
FiNiSheD so that each of you can work on a page instead of just one person working on
OnE page while everyone else sits and does
NoThiNg".
Their response: Completely
PuZzleD...My response: A look of
DiSbEliEf because no one in the group has thought to solve this problem by taking out the staples and passing out the pages so that everyone can be
On-TaSk and the project can be completed in an efficient manner.
I calmly take the book from G and begin pulling out the staples by
HaNd because I'm
HaPhaZarD like that.
Their response: Utter
AmAzeMenT. Seriously...You would have thought I'd just made something
VaNisH into thin air...One of the students who appeared to be the most puzzled
KriNklEd his face as if seriously
PoNdeRinG the matter and said in a high pitched tone of utter
PeRplExiTy...How'd you do that Mrs. Bailey?....
Did you have trainin' to do that or somethin'?
My Response: Of course I
ErUpTeD into laughter at the thought of me and every other teacher in the
WoRLd receiving training on how to pull staples out of paper by hand...as if this is some high-level
SkIlL that all teachers must show competence in before being crowned with the
HoNoR of teaching these little ones.
Through the
LaUgHteR I replied, "Actually, no, I didn't get training in this. Believe it or not I just figured it out on my own."
CoNfuSioN still on his face, the student replied, "oh" and began working on his part of the book.
In these
sMalL MoMeNts I'm
ReMiNdeD of the great
JoY found in what I do. I'm
EnCouRaGed that even though my job can sometimes seem
ChAoTiC, out of control, and OvErwHeLmInG to me, my clientele still think I'm a HiGhLy QuAliFieD GeNiUs, and I'll take that any day....even if it is just for tearing staples out of a book by hand.
