One Tiny Skittle

I experienced another 'ah ha' moment in the classroom the other day.  I like to play learning games with the students when we're finished with our lessons, and our favorite game is like Wheel of Fortune (without the wheel).  I put a sentence on the board in the form of spaces and go around the room allowing each student to guess a letter.  We go round and round until the sentence is guessed.  If a student guesses a letter correctly, he/she gets one Skittle...one tiny Skittle.  You would think it was money or a vacation the way they react.  As the year progresses, the students get better and better at playing, and come to understand the 'popular' consonants and the importance of knowing if all of the vowels have been guessed, including y, the 'sometimes vowel.'

I should probably back up this story a bit and say that on this particular day, we were playing this game following a spelling test that also had a fun finish, except for one little guy.  The students are excited each week to take their spelling test because when they're finished, they get to turn their papers over and write a sentence on the back. It's not the sentence alone that excites them, but the two Skittles they win if their sentence is written correctly.  There are only three rules that apply to them for their particular sentence.  The spelling word has to be spelled correctly, the sentence must begin with a capital letter, AND, it must have the correct ending mark.  In order to have a higher success rate and to help promote their confidence, the students know that it's okay if other words in the sentence are misspelled.  They know they won't receive any help from me while writing because I can read anything as long as they've sounded it out.  We have a whole little routine we follow that has built through the year that the students seem to love.  They rush their papers to me, take their seats, and the wiggling begins.  They know that we'll sing the 'Everyday I'm shuffling' song as I shuffle their papers.  Their names aren't on the back so I don't know whose sentence is whose while I'm reading them out loud until I turn it over.  But before I begin reading, we all hold up our pinkies and recite the Pinky Promise, promising not to cry since we're all learning...all part of our ritual.

Well, don't you know that every single sentence was correct...until the last one...written by, who I'll refer to as, Little Guy A.  Little Guy A clearly wrote a question, asking me about a game that he likes.  The only problem was that he ended it with a period.  No problem.  Disappointment is difficult, but part of the learning process, and  I don't make a big deal out of it.  I state why a question mark was needed and quickly move on to push past the sniffle I thought I noticed.  And that's when I realized we had enough time for a game.  Alright!  Another opportunity to have some good old fashioned learning fun, and...another chance to win an almighty Skittle.

Wrong!  As it turned out, Little Guy A was having a difficult time recouping from the spelling test, and was now making poor and frantic guesses.  It's not too often that the letters, Q and Z are used.  As the sentence was forming on the board...by the other classmates...Little Guy A's eyes were filling with tears.  He was trying to hold it together...and so was I.  He didn't know that I was silently bracing each time his turn came, hoping that he'd make a wise guess.  But no such luck...J.  Another letter not used too often.

Teaching moment!  Do I say something to him, causing him more embarrassment?  Do I ignore him?  We're learning, right?  How much suffering do I consider normal all in the name of learning before I sway from my rules?  All I really want is for Little Guy A to find some relief without me making a big deal out of him.  He's trying so hard to hold it together.  What do I do?

In my blur of panic and while writing another's correct choice on the board, I never noticed Little Guy B quietly getting up from his seat across the room.  By the time I could have said anything to him, he ever so gently placed his winning Skittle in front of Little Guy A.  No words were spoken, no other movement made, just the gentle placing of one tiny Skittle on a desk.

Once again...the smallest of gestures spoke the loudest.  I stood there, dumbfounded, in awe of Little Boy B.  He took his seat, shyly looking at me, wondering if it was okay of what he did.  I smiled and nodded, letting him know that his action was more than I could have thought of.

Sometimes, enough is enough in the name of learning.  They're only seven, and this time, it took a seven year old to teach ME.  I should have changed my course, whispered an answer, coached him...something...anything but what I was doing.  Sometimes, just wanting to do something isn't enough.  But thankfully for me, a very small and unpretentious little boy had his head in the game and kept his cool.  I haven't been able to stop thinking of Little Boy B and the action he took.  Was he wondering what was taking me so long to notice just how upset another was?  I'm so very grateful for Little Boy B and the opportunity to have learned from someone so small...yet so aware of the feelings of others.  I wonder what will become of Little Boy B?  With such perception at this young age...is this his calling...to stand up for others?  I hope so.  How lucky for us if it is.

I've been teaching for a while, and opportunities such as this arise from time to time.  But did I rise to the occasion?  No.  But did I learn something...did my silver learn?  Absolutely!  I love it that I can learn from little people.  I love it that it's not just one-sided and that they only learn from me.  I'll remember Little Boy B's small gesture and his compassion for someone who was hurting.

Valentine's Day...Buckle Style

Caught up in the emotion of Valentine's weekend, with hearts, chocolate and roses in a swirling frenzy through the social media statuses and News Feeds, I'm happy to report of my own successful Valentine's gift from none other than...Officer Buckle.  I did receive a box of chocolates, which didn't take up residence for long in the kitchen and...I did receive a very touching card.  It states, "Our love is like a fairy tale."  And on the card was a king holding a broom (how perfect) standing behind his queen, who was seated at her desk holding a feather pen.  Officer Buckle had inscribed the words, blog and book writing, onto her papers.  There, you see...he loves me!  Proof.  But...the gift, in reality, had already been delivered time and time again. Let me back up a bit.  Two nights before Valentine's with a blizzard a comin', Buckle was just about to tuck himself into bed when his phone rang...never a good sign an hour before midnight.  "Oh, no, the night-watch commander hadn't reported to duty; a mix-up," he said, pulling back on his pants.  The snow was really coming down now as our long awaited for blizzard of the season was upon us, and it was a beautiful sight...from the inside...by the fire...or, from under the electric blanket.  But Buckle was about to experience it from the other side.  After pleading with him to take the truck (nope) and to be careful...now think of whom I'm talking with, I tucked my tail and my own self into bed.

Through the night I awakened to the sound of sleet and snow plows, and I wondered how he was holding up.  Truth be told, the commander commands from behind a desk...inside, but there was still the driving to and from the desk and the chance of a quick trip to 7-11 or Wawa that had me worried.

When I finally awakened at 8:00 a.m. and he still wasn't home, I jumped up and looked out of the window.  There he was, shoveling himself back ONTO the driveway.  The plows had done a nice job on the streets, but you know what that means?  A very large and icy ridge at the bottom of the driveway.  Once he had made enough clearance to get his car off the street, he came inside...to go to bed, I thought, since he had now been awake for 27 hours.  "How was your evening?  Did you stay busy?  I re-set the electric blanket and it's ready."

"I've got to go back out again.  Is my green sweatshirt dry?" he said, grabbing a granola bar.

"Yes, but aren't you tired?" I inquired, jogging after him through the house.

Three hours later he proclaimed himself, finished.  He had cleared the driveway, cleared the cars, cleared the sidewalk, fed the birds, check the gutters to make sure they weren't frozen shut AND cleared a path for them to drain.  He had also checked on his beloved newly cut log pile, which he had covered with plastic the day before in anticipation of snow.  He wanted to make sure it would stay dry during the storm.  I knew all of this, of course, because I had run from window to window throughout the morning to check on him.  Hey, I had a friend a couple of winters ago wonder what was taking her husband so long while shoveling, only to find him with a broken hip on the driveway...so I needed to be sure.  This is something my silver has taught me.

So come lunch time, there he was in the garage stomping off the excess snow from his boots, probably wondering what his reward would be for being the ever efficient storm trooper...a bowl of hot soup or maybe a mug of freshly made hot chocolate with marshmallows before climbing into bed?  When all of a sudden...POING!  There went the spring on the garage door.  Uh, oh.  And when he reached above the door and pulled on the safety cord to disengage it...BAM!...the door slammed to the floor, carrying Officer Buckle with it...he almost slid into home plate...forever!

Oh, well, so much for rewards.  But, as far as me and my Valentine's gift...I have my Officer Buckle ready and waiting for what ever action life may bring...whether it be blizzards and frozen gutters, broken garage doors (and already fixed I might add), or more log piles waiting to be split.  My silver has taught me this...THIS is good.  I love you and Happy Valentine's Day, Officer Buckle.

Below are the 'fruits' of my window hopping...enjoy!