I was thinking today that one thing, among thousands, of changes in education that have taken place since I started teaching 25 (YIKES) years ago is definitely the children--mainly their attention spans. I kid you not, kids today have the attention span of a gnat. I start teaching a lesson and have to stop to refocus this student or that one usually because of trinkets they have either brought to school or worn as accessories. I opened my "May Drawer" today and noticed that after only two months in school, it is getting rather full. (My May Drawer is the drawer I keep treasures I collect from students that interfere with their learning. I give the treasures back in May, thus the name May Drawer.)
These are the treasures I have collected since the beginning of school. The broken, white eraser was being gnawed on by a student during social studies. The purple beads, that I got off a male student, were being twirled around his finger to be hurled through the air any minute I'm sure. There is a pencil sharpener in that pile that I am sure is dull due to the fact that the owner sharpened a pencil until it was so sharp it could have been used for an ice pick. (What is the fascination with a manual pencil sharpener? My students would grind pencils all day if I let them. Drives me nuts!) I wouldn't have taken the cross necklace if it wasn't for the fact that the student would not stop chewing on it. Yes, those are Lego's on the left. Why is a fourth grader bringing Lego's to school and playing with them? Who knows! And I must let you know that I have acquired a talent for walking by a student and taking his/her treasure without missing a beat in my lesson. I don't have to say a word. All I do is walk to the student, turn my palm upward and into my hand goes the treasure.
I found this treasure on my keyboard this AM when I arrived at school. It's little things like this that just make me smile. (Of course, then I look at the note and notice the capital "B" in the word "best" in the middle of the sentence and think "Yeah, I'm doing a great job with ELA." Ugh! However, credit is given for it being a complete sentence with a capital letter at the beginning and the correct punctuation at the end.)
And these are a few of my treasures I find when I get home every afternoon.
Yes, even this stinky teenager is a treasure. He is a good egg for which I am very thankful.
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