Are They Learning?

The bell rings at 2:45 and I am often on my way out the door, bags in tow, no later than 3:00, in order to hit the reset button on my mom role, which begins promptly at 3:15.

So it is mornings when I get to meander through Room 15 and take stock of the chaos from the day before.  I make my way counter-clockwise, through the dim room, turning on each lamp as I go.

I see the pile of pencils on the bookcase. Cast offs saved by the kind-hearted custodians.

I see the book pile on the back table. The librarians remembered to find the left out books at the end of the day.

I see the read aloud all set out on the chair for the start of the day. It’s a fun one for before testing this week.

And then I find the first Dixie cup. 3×4 it reads. I don’t have to look very far to find some more. Tucked into nooks and crannies at all sorts of odd angles. A sign of learning that makes me chuckle.

Power Towers are stacking games to reinforce multiplication facts. My third graders have been stacking extraordinaires.  At some point the stacking game got stale. The Pringles cans got turned upside down and a single cup placed on top. Voila!  Target practice tower. Facts are furiously answered and a frenzy of cups goes flying to be the first to knock down that lone cup on top.

To the outside eye it’s a chaotic possible waste of time. To my meandering morning mind, it’s a sign of kids’ taking learning into their own hands and getting so caught up they miss the wayward flying Dixie cups.

And I for one, think it is glorious.

 

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To the Victor Goes the Spoils

Many fought a valiant battle. Post after post of canines. Post after post of felines. The tug of fur has been going strong for almost a year.

We would pause and then ultimately keep on scrolling by. Until the scroll paused. And then stopped. We took the leap. We waited. We paced. We heard back.

We were too late. Adopted out to another family that filled out their paperwork just a tad faster. His little smooshy face would be another family’s little smooshy face.

So the scrolling continued once again. Until it stopped. Until we leaped. Until we waited. Until we paced. Until we heard back.

We piled into the family car, crate, food, water, toys. Prepared for the journey to bring him home. Anticipation  dancing through the air the whole way there.

The cry that commenced the moment he entered the crate until we got home was impressive.

The pounce and curiosity that burst out of him all night was altogether amusing and terrifying.

The warmth of the purr and contentment in my arms right now is the salve to the break our hearts. There is no better sound than that of a happy little smoosh plopped in your lap.

Welcome to the family, our very own little smooshy face.

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