The first couple weeks of student teaching have entailed some hard reality checks. It turns out that if I plan the way I've have been taught for the last 4 years, I will not sleep, eat, talk, walk, smile, etc. Also, mother nature has thrown a few more curve balls in there by prompting snow days, so it's just all a scheduler's nightmare. While this has been a hard adjustment to make and entails relearning teacher planning, I have had countless chances to be reminded of why I got myself into this spreadsheet-plan mess in the first place. A child's joyous, carefree, honest spirit is something that lasts for only a short period of time and can never again be attained. Isn't that something? I think God had a fantastic plan when making kids. He not only made it a very special, unique time, but added the endearing qualities that are so necessary for helping adults keep their patience when that one kid just won't shut up. :) Of course, sometimes the endearing qualities are simply not enough to remain patient and that's when you have to rewind, and remember what being a 2nd grader was all about. Snow days were like Christmas, time tests instigated panic, recess really should've constituted as a "favorite subject", you were immune to the cold in 5 degree temperature, and you may have confused the bathroom as a playground once or twice. It's both necessary to remember the mentality of a 2nd grader and appreciate it. It's such a sweet time in life and more often than not, I'm jealous of their outlook on things.
Will and I (and friends) were excited little 2nd graders while we went night sledding down the town's old ski slope. We not only remembered to appreciate the child-like spirit, but thoroughly enjoyed feeling like kids again. Of course, you can't fully get that child bravery back so I'm sure when I was 7, I didn't yell "We're going to die" all the way down or opt for a face full of snow just so I could bail early; but I still laughed my head off in a snow bank, forgetting about the snow in my boots and the cold in my hands.
