Wednesdays are our long days in 2nd grade. That means no specials. Just me and my babes from 8:00 till 3:00. Which isn't a bad deal, but when the blue skies are bright with sunshine and the temps are hovering near 60, just a few hours can become quite unendurable.
Today was especially hard. The kids were weary of me by 2:00. I was tired of myself by one. Even the class hamster was annoyed as she bumped against the side of her sleeping hut at noon. Can you dingdang people get out of here so I can get some sleep??? Poor nocturnal Sophie. By afternoon, there was just too much breath, too many jitters, too much humanity in that space to learn one more blasted thing.
As we neared the end of a writing minilesson on the elements of good book reviews, I could see I had them still. Hanging by a thread, but I had them. Then not a half a second later, I could sense a change. 2:20, and a thick dread hung in the air like a San Francisco fog. Please don't make us do something. Please don't make us work. I swear, I could hear them thinking.
"I believe what we'll do now, guys, is put this on the back burner till tomorrow so we can go outside," I announced.
"Oh, she did not just say that!"
"Whooooooo, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"What's a backburner?"
And just like that, the fog lifted, the dread gone.
Sometimes it just pays to take a break.
My post is about the full moon...I think your post describes just what happens the days just before:) I like this part of your post..."The kids were weary of me by 2:00. I was tired of myself by one." Obviously you don't take yourself too seriously. I bet your kids love you!
ReplyDeleteBrain breaks are a good thing!
ReplyDeleteYou made their day and tomorrow they will be ready to learn more. That's the way to have a great day. I love "a thick dread hung in the air like a San Francisco fog." What a great visual!
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