Today I threw on a potter's wheel for the first time in about 15 years...and it showed. Not that I was any better back then. One of my students conned me into it actually...she asked me if she could stay after school to make a plate for another class. Somehow I got this brilliant idea to break out one of the wheels in our building. Halfway through the afternoon I was knee deep in clay and wishing I said 'NO.' And then one of my other students starting offering tips and the next thing I knew there were 4 girls and myself talking about life and boys and being a teenager...and I had one of the MOST humbling moments of my career. They could never, and will never, know when this enlightenment came, but in the midst of it all, these 4 random students came together and shared a moment, and I was only lucky enough to be a part of it. Moments like these can't be measured on a test, nor can be validated on a teacher evaluation. You couldn't even find funding to force this to happen in some charter school that thinks they can do better. It's life lived...and that's what we all forget when we talk about educating children.
Okay...getting off soapbox now! ;)
I realized in our talk today that the only thing kids want is to have someone listen to THEIR needs; and we don't because some how we feel our problems as adults outweigh those of our youth. Granted, that's true. However, when we're in the moment of NOW, any problem seems monumental...and only time and space can shrink its size. Add hormones to the mix and you have a situation on your hands. (No, not the Jersey Shore) Lesson learned for today...children are just as able as we are to teach and enlighten. And even though there were no successful pottery pieces made today, a great lesson was learned today.
On a side note...someone asked me the other day (in a moment of loathing) "What if this was worst time in your life?"
If that's true, then I'm on a lucky path! :D
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