My Candy Land-ish Day of Teaching

I might work in Candy Land.  Today my day was filled with all things sweet and joyful.  I know there are mud pits and licorice traps and undesirables in Candy Land, but today, I glided through without stepping on one single set back.

I greeted my new gang of 4th graders after our 4-day weekend and they were filled with smiles and stories, they were attentive and eager to learn.  Seriously, they were. 

One of my students quietly asked me where I shop. 

“What kind of shopping?”, I asked. 

 ”I wonder if I could get that sweater in my size”, she said.

Yep.  That’s right.  She was wondering if the store might have the sweater I was wearing in her size.  Sweet galore.

Later, upon entering the lunchroom to drop my class off, I had the mom of a former student push through the crowd to get to me and engulf me in a hug.  Honestly, she was like a salmon swimming up a stream of hungry children, just to get to me.  She hugged and squeezed and said she missed me.  Sugary gumdrop!

Then three of my last year girls caught me on the way out of the lunchroom for hugs and smiles.  Group hug.  Who doesn’t need a group hug in the middle of the day?

When it was time for dismissal, one of my students skipped to and from her mailbox.  She skipped, as though she were in some sort of fairy tale and not just her 4th grade classroom.  Could it be that our 4th grade classroom is a happy place for her?  A skip worthy environment?  Be still my heart. 

And to top it all off, my favorite……I know I shouldn’t admit this, but I have 2 favorites from my past years of teaching.  One happens to be a girl from my class last year.  Anyway, she came down to my room, gave me a big ol’ hug, we chatted it up for a few minutes and she promised to come back EVERYDAY to visit. 

This is my work environment.  There are most definitely days when it feels like I’m playing Mouse Trap, but today was all Candy Land.  I am blessed.

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