A "Lively" Classroom

My classroom is a pretty lively place. Not in the sense that the kids are out of control - absolutely not. (In fact, they are wonderful when it comes to being respectful, kind, and honest.)

It's a little hard to describe, just as defining giftedness is hard. (There is no defining test that categorically stamps a person as GIFTED. Yet gifted teachers will tell you that there is a "bingo moment" - a time when the child says or does something so unusually intellectual, perceptive, creative, etc. that she KNOWS. "There it is," I often think when it happens with one of my students.)

So, my "lively" classroom... just what is it? Here are a few recent examples that may help explain.

1) It is full of inquisitive children who see patterns in things or even create them. For example, the pattern you see here:

Plain, old popsicle sticks with the kids' names on them. They're kept in a container and used for a variety of reasons - selecting a group to work together, creating the order kids will do an activity, calling on students so that everyone is included, etc.

Most people, adults and children alike, would simply pull the stick, read the name, and set the used sticks in a pile. Not my students. They line them up meticulously, one after another, with the names all in order. Or they make patterns like the one above, or weave them together and make long, flat rectangles like elongated potholders. No, my students don't just pull the sticks - they have to manipulate them as well.

2) They reflect and comment on things that they are learning about, and often those brief asides tell me WORLDS about what is going on in those little brains. Just today, I was grading some essays about slavery and the Underground Railroad. One student wrote,

"...the Portuguese brought back people just because they couldn't find gold. I really wonder where that thought came from."

That little nugget brought me to tears this morning as I read it. The more I thought about what AP had written, the more profound and fundamental I felt it was.  He's right - who would think of such a thing? Enslaving another? Historically, it goes back thousands of years, but really... who thought of it and WHY?? It is so wrong! He may only be a fourth grader, but he sees beyond the surface.

3) My kiddos constantly make connections to other things they know about, and then incorporate them  (with a healthy dash of humor) into what they are doing. Today, while presenting about the book Caddie Woodlawn, the group who'd read that book had to give the book's theme or message. So, they made a sign that said, "There's no place like home. Click Click." We all had a good laugh over that! (This group also dubbed themselves "the Woodlawn Mowers.")

4) Another aspect of liveliness is that they delve into books, deeply and thoroughly. Reading several works by an author is commonplace as their attention is riveted by what he or she has written. Discussing their books with me is a given - throughout the day I am approached by kiddos who have something to share about their book and/or its author.

JM is heavily into H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. Cannot get enough of those books. Yesterday he brought his book to me with his finger marking a page. "I can't believe it!" he crowed. "This is the simplest sentence I think Jules Verne has ever written!" And using that finger, he pointed out the sentence that said, "Lost!" One word, conveying so much meaning. And JM was perceptive enough to catch that, having become so familiar with the author's normally verbose writings.

5) They see meaning authors intended, whether it's symbolic social commentary (as in some Dr. Seuss books) or the gentle humor in Winnie the Pooh that many folks (adults and children, but especially kids their age) miss because they dismiss these books as baby books. My class knows differently, and they aren't afraid to let others know. Currently they are on a HUGE Dr. Seuss kick, so much so that the Hershey media specialist told me she thought we had checked out nearly every book the library owned right now. They're reading the old Seuss favorites, but they're also reading Seuss's early works as well as those that are more obscure. They are understanding the meaning tucked within books such as The Butter Battle Book  and The Lorax, and are actively considering their own opinions about the issues those books address. We have some pretty spirited discussion sometimes!

The common thread that runs trough the liveliness in my room, I think, is a child-like sense of wonder -  the children are brimming with it. And that wonderment sparks connections, whether it's to authors and books, or to disgusted comments about slavery.

Every day brings something new to wonder about, and the children bring me along with them for the ride.

Lucky, lucky me!

Blast from the Past - the Pope Family

We moved to Urbana, Illinois, in October, 1979. A few doors down the street lived the Pope family.

Left to right: Kathy, Paul, Lisa, Gladys, and Marty.

They were good neighbors for twenty-seven years, and I wanted to record some stories that involve them. 

1) Paul was the first black deputy sheriff in Champaign County (the jail is now named after him.) Several years after Sarah graduated from Seminary, he told me a story about her. He said that one of his officers had seen Sarah speeding very early in the morning a couple of times and had mentioned to Paul that his neighbor was speeding and going someplace daily at an unusual hour. (He must've run the license plate to know we were neighbors.) Paul told the officer that he knew where Sarah was heading - Seminary! He then told his officer to leave her be - that she was heading to church every morning and that was a good thing for a teenager to do! 

2) Marty (as you can see) was really into body building. He was enormous, but he could also be a teddy bear. One time I had come home from running errands and heard noises coming from the basement. I was afraid to take the kids into the house, so I walked across the street, hoping to find Paul at home and ask him to check it out. He was gone, so Marty came over instead. I opened the front door, and Duffy, our Springer Spaniel, immediately began barking at him. Marty leaped off the front porch SO FAST, afraid of the dog! I still smile at the memory of the huge body builder intimidated by a forty-two pound dog.

3) Gladys was a teacher at Leal Elementary, and she cared deeply about kids. One day she got a beautiful new car, and parked it in her driveway (probably so it wouldn't get side-swiped on the street.) Jessica was learning to ride a bike and was out practicing on the sidewalk. She got the bike going and hit the part of the sidewalk that went downhill.... and in front of the Popes' home. Jessica couldn't find the brakes to stop and smacked into the side of Gladys' brand new car. She ran home crying, with Gladys hot on her heels. But Gladys wasn't mad. Not at all. She was worried about Jessica. "I just wanted to make sure she wasn't getting in trouble for hitting my car. The car is fine. Is she okay?" Gladys kept repeating. I have always been grateful to Gladys for her care and concern that afternoon.

4) Popes took in foster children for a while as their own grew up and left home. Once a white brother and sister were placed with them. Gladys told me with a laugh that the foster children found that a bit disconcerting. The teenage girl had finally blurted out, "But... but... you're BLACK!" and Gladys had retorted, "I sure am!" and gone about her business. 

Paul has been gone about fifteen years now, maybe longer. Gladys retired in the mid 1990s and continued working with under-privileged children. I am not in touch with Lisa or Marty, but Kathy and I are connected via Facebook, and I am able to keep up with the rest of the family that way. 

Sometime soon I will write about our neighbor, Maxine Belle. My family will love THAT trip down memory lane!

Congratulations, Mom!!

Presenting the most recent recipient of the Ball-Sholty Award!

My mom received it on January 22 from the Tippecanoe County Historical Association in recognition of her lifetime of service to TCHA. Usually it's given posthumously; I'm delighted she received it now so she can enjoy it.

Cindie is talented in a lot of areas, and floral arranging is one of them. She made Mom a beautiful wrist corsage. Steve, Jenny, and Curt look on as she places it around Mom's wrist.

After a light buffet and a business meeting, Kathy Atwell announced the award and invited Mom up to the podium to receive it.

 A hug from Kathy as the room broke into applause.

 Mom gave a brief speech...

... and received a well-deserved standing ovation.

Afterward, it was picture time!

 Jenny and Mom.

 Steve, Mom, and Cindie.

 Mom and me. (Sadly, Craig had a class to teach and couldn't attend.)

Vanessa, Mom, and Curt.

 Kathy Atwell, head of TCHA, Mom, and her award.

 The award is really beautiful.

But then, so is my mom. 

Bedtime Story

If only Zeus were still here so I could!

Last Day Together

Monday was a busy day, and also the last day of Kyle and Ashley's visit with us. I took the day off, and we took full advantage of the time together.

Vanessa met us at McDonalds for lunch, and then we all headed to Star Lanes, the bowling alley where my father used to bowl, for a couple of games.

 Ashley gets ready to step up and roll.

 Addie was able to haul her bowling ball by herself to the rolling rack.

You place your ball on top of it, give it a shove, and off it goes!

 Kyle seems to be enjoying the family time, and beat everyone twice, winning both games.

Curt was able to join us, and took my spot in the line up. My elbows just could not handle the stress from picking up the ball and then rolling it. I lasted five frames.

 When not bowling, Craig enjoyed holding Corinne. 

Afterward, we came home and I cooked spaghetti, homemade bread, and pumpkin bars for dinner. Then, while everything was simmering on the stove, Braden and I worked on electronics.

My mom joined us for dinner, and then we sent Kyle and Ashley off to Outback for a dinner date. My mother and Braden spent some time shooting the marshmallow bows...

 ...and then she played with Addie. 

Finally, we wrapped up the evening with popcornpalooza and watching Animusic 2 (Braden's choice) and Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw (Addie's choice.)

Yes, Captain Kavok!

On eBay just after Christmas, Lisa found an old game we'd had when she was a child - The Star Trek Interactive Board Game. At only 99 cents plus $17 shipping, she promptly ordered it and had it delivered here. Sadly, it arrived after she'd left so she didn't get to play it this trip.

This weekend when Kyle and Curt spied the box, they insisted we HAD to play. So, we texted Lis and got her permission to open her game, and then settled down for an hour's worth of fun.

 Setting the game up wasn't too difficult, but we were rusty on the rules.

A close-up of the game board, all ready to go.

Intruder alert! Something is walking the decks of the Enterprise.

And they've gotten into the Captain's ready room!

 Kyle looks a little nervous as we wait to discover who is onboard.

 Oh, no! It's the evil Klingon, Kavok!!

"Experience bij!"

(Curt noticed that Captain Kavok winks in this scene - see it?)

After a frenetic hour of crawling through jeffreys tubes, being placed in stasis chambers, tracking down isolinear chips, and the ever popular experiencing Bij, at last Ashley got all five of her isolinear chips, made it to the deck, and won the game.

You can bet that, when Lisa next comes for a visit, we will be hauling this game out again!

Transported Back in Time Via Legos

During Kyle's visit, I was sitting in the living room when I heard a sound that was familiar but which I could not place. A swishing sound that sort of rattled. I listened for a while, and then it hit me.

Legos! Someone was sifting through the Lego tub! So I went upstairs to take a peek. This is the sight that greeted me as I looked into Craig's office:

Someone had dumped the entire tub of Legos. But who? Braden, maybe??

 Nope, it's Kyle, and he was sorting out pieces from that huge jumble of Legos.

 He'd actually picked out quite a few specific pieces. But why?

 Kyle answered my question by pointing to the iPad.

 He'd pulled up plans for an old favorite that he had constructed years ago. And now he was trying to put it together again.

It took him a while, but he finished the piece. I sat in Craig's green lounger and watched, chatting with Kyle as he reminisced about Legos in his childhood. And I cried a bit, too. It took me waaaay back to when my kids were little (how I miss that stage!!) and would watch them spend hours building with Legos, sometimes entire cities that they would spread out all over the width and breadth of the pool table in the basement.

Good memories from one of the best toys ever designed for children. Thanks, Kyle, for letting me sit and watch.

Playing with Grammy Slash

Not only did "Grammy Slash" (as the kids have taken to calling my mother) teach Braden a bit about archery, she also played with the kids. Addie especially liked playing hide and seek, popping up and "surprising" her great grandmother...

...who played right along, to the extent of falling over on the couch!

 Which elicited shrieks of laughter from Addie -she found that hilarious!

Then Grammy Slash put on one of the animal masks I'd gotten the kids.

 She does a pretty good monkey imitation, that's for sure!

The giraffe mask puzzled her. After all, have YOU ever heard a giraffe make a sound?

Braden had the answer - he showed her that they stick their tongues out and slide them side to side. (In an effort to get leaves, I suppose.)

Braden and Addie made a lot of memories with my mother this weekend. But I think she is cherishing those she made, too.

"Diana and Cupid"

Take a look at who schooled Braden in marshmallow archery.

Yes, that's my mother, fondly known as "Granny Slash" to her great grandchildren.

 Braden brought her into the dining room after dinner Saturday night to show her how to use the marshmallow bow and arrow.

 "You hold it like this, Granny Slash."

 She lets her first shot fly and awes Braden with her prowess.

 So much so, it deserves a high five.

 One shot led to another (they were aiming at the dining room wall)...

 ..and Granny Slash matched Braden shot for shot.

 He had no idea she spent hours on the archery range as a young girl.  (At least one quiver and a stand of arrows still reside in her basement.) Nor did he know that she taught archery at Purdue. When she was a freshman. Because she could shoot better than the instructor.

 Looking for a target with more range, "Diana and Cupid" moved into the living room to see if they could hit targets up on the overlook.

 "All together now!"

 Braden watches as Granny Slash's shot again flies true.

She dazzled him with her ability to shoot - he even jumped up and down in delight once. But you know what? I think she was delighted, too. Look at her face in every one of these pictures.

Smile after smile.

I hope Diana and Cupid get to have a rematch.