Stars & Stripes Forever

It's not like there aren't funny things that happen every day in my classroom and inspiring stories to blog about.  There are.  Last year I walked around with a notepad in my pocket so I could record the funny little stories and the happy moments that go on constantly during the day.   This year, with no notepad in my pocket, the spontaneous and silly things that happen are, sadly, forgotten most days by the time I arrive home exhausted. 

I'm so relieved that this week it is staying lighter longer at night (daylight savings time) AND our cold, cold winter has let go of us a bit and we've had temperatures in the 40's and 50's. The sun has even been shining.  It's like a collective sigh of relief as our spring begins to slowly arrive.  Soon, teacher friends, we'll be able to go out for *gasp* an extra recess to enjoy the nice weather.

So today, this happened.

I was asking the students to finish up their reading and put away their book boxes.  One student, who had just returned from a reading class plopped down in his seat and caught my attention.  As the other students hurried about, he looked at me and said, "What should I do?  Just sit here?"   

It seemed a very silly question with an obvious answer so I looked him in the eyes. 

"Well... no.  You should stand on your head and do a headstand while singing the National Anthem," I said to him with a serious face.   I even motioned towards the back carpet area invitingly.   He smiled.  

I arched my eyebrows as best I could.  A challenge.

And then he pushed his chair out, stood up, hustled over to the back carpet and kicked himself up into a perfect headstand.   

"How does that song go again?" he asked me with his upside-down face.  

"Ohhhh-oh say can you...." I began.     And he picked it up from there as his face turned a faint shade of pink.

Let's just say it took about a nanosecond for the other little ones to see that something very unusual was going down at the back carpet.  And they certainly were not going to miss it.  Soon, they gathered, from near and from far.  They joined in the song.  Because they are kids.  A couple of them danced a bit and they circled around him singing and encouraging him.  They may not have known all the words, but they made up for it with their determination and resolve.  

And he did it! He brought his legs back down to a very appreciative audience who were now madly clapping and shouting words of admiration.  I wasn't sure if his red face was from being upside down or from embarrassment from all the attention.

As I pointed them back to their tables to get back on task after the impromptu show, the little boy looked over his shoulder at me as he said, "You know, I can do back flips too!" 

"Impressive," I told him.   "But no."   

I don't just work with a bunch of energetic, spunky, talented kids.  I truly work with little superSTARS who are talented in so many ways.

Every last one of them.