Funny how an experience you've long learned to take for granted can take on new magic when seen through new eyes.
We had our first major snowfall here this morning. It started as flurries and built up to quite the mini-blizzard in a short period of time. Now, I don't like cold and snow, so I'm never happy to see winter arrive, but if that first snowfall happens while I'm with my class it's usually an event.
I still clearly remember the first snowfall during my first year of teaching, oh so many years ago. The major classroom phobia of every first year teacher is discipline in the classroom, keeping things orderly. I was unprepared for my class' reaction to that first snowfall. They jumped up, yelled, some ran to the window, things went rather out-of-control. The first year teacher in me over-reacted. I pulled the blinds shut, yelled at them to sit down, piled them up with work.
I've regretted my initial reaction ever since. To a ten-year-old, the year's first snowfall is exciting, a moment to celebrate. Since that year, if the first snowfall happens in class, I do stop my lesson and let the kids go stand at the windows for a few minutes, enjoy the moment with them. -Then- I sit them down and we go back to work :).
This year's first snowfall in class was even more special. I have a new boy in my room this year named Dale, just arrived in Canada from South Africa. All the students in the class knew that Dale had never seen snow before. When the snow started falling today, the students weren't just excited for themselves, they were excited for their friend who was seeing his very first snow storm. I kept with my yearly ritual, let the kids go stand at the windows to see the snow before returning to their desks to continue their grammar lesson. Most of the students got back to their assignment right away, but Dale had completely forgotten his grammar work and he sat for several minutes mesmorized by the scene outside the window. Naturally, I let him be, but I found his sense of wonder at a common Canadian snowfall both moving and enlightening.
I'm off to the Toronto Planetarium tomorrow to see a special exhibit of props, costumes, sets and movie clips from the movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". It's the only city in North America that will be getting the exhibit and I'm very excited about seeing it! Some acquaintances I know from an on-line Tolkien community (same one with the quilt) plan to be there tomorrow, too, and I'm looking forward to having a chance to meet them.
We had our first major snowfall here this morning. It started as flurries and built up to quite the mini-blizzard in a short period of time. Now, I don't like cold and snow, so I'm never happy to see winter arrive, but if that first snowfall happens while I'm with my class it's usually an event.
I still clearly remember the first snowfall during my first year of teaching, oh so many years ago. The major classroom phobia of every first year teacher is discipline in the classroom, keeping things orderly. I was unprepared for my class' reaction to that first snowfall. They jumped up, yelled, some ran to the window, things went rather out-of-control. The first year teacher in me over-reacted. I pulled the blinds shut, yelled at them to sit down, piled them up with work.
I've regretted my initial reaction ever since. To a ten-year-old, the year's first snowfall is exciting, a moment to celebrate. Since that year, if the first snowfall happens in class, I do stop my lesson and let the kids go stand at the windows for a few minutes, enjoy the moment with them. -Then- I sit them down and we go back to work :).
This year's first snowfall in class was even more special. I have a new boy in my room this year named Dale, just arrived in Canada from South Africa. All the students in the class knew that Dale had never seen snow before. When the snow started falling today, the students weren't just excited for themselves, they were excited for their friend who was seeing his very first snow storm. I kept with my yearly ritual, let the kids go stand at the windows to see the snow before returning to their desks to continue their grammar lesson. Most of the students got back to their assignment right away, but Dale had completely forgotten his grammar work and he sat for several minutes mesmorized by the scene outside the window. Naturally, I let him be, but I found his sense of wonder at a common Canadian snowfall both moving and enlightening.
I'm off to the Toronto Planetarium tomorrow to see a special exhibit of props, costumes, sets and movie clips from the movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". It's the only city in North America that will be getting the exhibit and I'm very excited about seeing it! Some acquaintances I know from an on-line Tolkien community (same one with the quilt) plan to be there tomorrow, too, and I'm looking forward to having a chance to meet them.