Lessons of the day

Lesson 1: Careful what you're doing, someone is always watching you.

C came to school so early that I was still setting up the classroom so I enlisted her happy help. Together we set up the dishes, put out the laundry, sharpened pencils, and delivered a few random things back to their places, including my notebook and clipboard for note taking. later that morning when we came in to formally start the work cycle with the rest of the children I headed over to my stool to check my lesson plan before starting presentations. To my shock I noticed that C had not only delivered both items as requested, but had carefully tucked the notebook in my side table, balanced upright how it best fits, and placed my clipboard on the nearby stool with the pen on it ready to write....just like they eventually end up every day even though I try to store them both hidden in the side table. And then I started wondering....what else have they been watching me do?

Lesson 2: Never underestimate a 4 year old.

J and Q were playing together at recces, enjoying the new snow and the return of sledding. J was riding along as Q pulled her. Q slipped along; the sled starting and stopping. "I can help you!" J giggled happily, using her arms to push the sleds forward in little lurches. Q looked back, a slightly disgruntled look on her face. "Stop, I don't need your help." J, always happy to please her friends listened immediately and settled her arms back in to the sled. Without another word Q took off, her boots slipping on the snow a bit before a final yank pulled the sled forward in rush. J fell back down in the sled from the force and lay there giggling as Q stomped away through the snow. She didn't need anyone's help to pull that sled; after all, she's 4 now!