Wednesday, 1/9/13

Oh my goodness this day has been a whirlwind!!!! The building is closing early, so again I don't have much time but I have to tell you a cute story. Before winter break we began our social studies book which teaches history. We didn't have time to get through it thoroughly, but I'd given the kids some sticky notes and had them read independently, meanwhile putting a sticky note on anything they found interesting. This week we've been discussing what the kids sticky noted (I may have just made up that word, but you get what I'm saying. ;)  ). There is a small section in the book about the Underground Railroad, so that was where today's discussion led. This is not the first time I've taught this part of our country's history and it won't be the last, but there is always something amazing about how the kids react. They are HORRIFIED by slavery and the mistreatment of people based on the color of one's skin (today's conversation moved into talk of Rosa Parks as well--at the kids' instruction, not mine, believe it or not!). To watch their brains process what they are learning and hearing-- their reaction most always brings some tears to my eyes. I always hope that something about how they feel during this lesson in second grade about people who are different from themselves will somehow stick with them, despite what society may do to them as they grow up. While it is an ugly part of our history to be talking about in second-grade terms, it always gives me hope that our future generations will continue to improve the way humans treat one another, and if nothing else, I simply hope and pray that the kids I teach help me keep my rose-colored glasses fimly in place and that I never lose the hope that future generations will know better and therefore do better by each other. <3