All Aboard

The week before winter break at school is excruciating. We're still trying to teach, and the kids are just out to friggin' lunch. It was compounded this year by spending the entire week previous indoors due to sub-zero temps. Brutal.

But the two days before break (we went to school Monday and Tuesday this year), were actually quite pleasant. Not very academic, mind you, but pleasant. The music program was over, the gifts for parents had been made and sent home, and there was no point starting anything new for a two day week followed by twelve day hiatus.

So I just took the time to enjoy my class; something I haven't done enough this year. I'v been very wrapped up in lesson plans and schedules to help my special needs boy. I've stuck to my schedule with rigid authority because he relies on it so much. Therefore, I have missed some of those "teachable moments", where we put aside what I had planned to discuss, laugh, play, etc. without following the lesson plan.

On Monday, we turned off the lights, turned on a lamp and read The Polar Express. We talked about word choice and ideas and the illustrations. Afterward, we sequenced important events and re-told the story.

On Tuesday, all the kids (and the teachers!) came to school in pajamas for Polar Express Day. We sequenced again and discussed favorite parts. Then we turned down the lights and watched the movie in our jammies! I served hot chocolate and laughed along with the kids as they squealed in delight and shouted at the characters on the screen. It was fun to just watch them be kids... I didn't shush them or tell them to "be a good audience", I just let them enjoy a movie the way kids were meant to enjoy it. They absolutely loved it. One of them even said, "This hot cocoa is as rich and creamy as a melted chocolate bar!" - a line from the book!

I also read them a fun book, Olive the Other Reindeer, which they really enjoyed (although the explanation of the pun was a but more arduous than I expected and involved spelling All of the Other Reindeer and Olive, the Other Reindeer on the board AND singing the entire Rudolph song), then gave them each a copy of the book. They were all so grateful!

I guess one of the best ways to get into the spirit of Christmas is to watch a group of six and seven year olds in their Spongebob jammies singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It's really a beautiful thing.

Merry Christmas!