Soup's On

Some of you may have heard the story of Stone Soup.  There are many versions of this classic tale.  In one popular version, a few men manage to reunite a town full of standoffish, untrusting people by creating Stone Soup in the town's center.  In another, a weary treveler asks a woman for food.  She rudely refuses, saying she doesn't have any.  Clearly a lie.  When he mentions that he'll get by on some Stone Soup, she is intrigued and ultimately provides quite a range of food for the traveler to add to the soup.

After reading these two adaptations of the tale to the class, I told them it was their turn to create some soup.  The instructions I gave were simple: they could be as creative as they'd like, they should use their imaginations, it should not be your standard chicken noodle or broccoli and cheese, and it didn't necessarily have to be edible.

As you study the ingredients for Andy's soup, you may be asking yourself (as I did, numerous times) just where this child's imagination took him.  I assume he chose the "not edible" route.

Summer Break

I know many people believe that teachers choose their profession in large part due to the fact there is a summer break involved.  We're just those lazy people who would rather not be working so we simply put up with seven months of a career we don't really enjoy all that much because it's worth it for those two months off.  And I'm sure you've heard the well-thought-out argument, "Yeah, you don't make very much money but you get the summers off."  Mm hm...even if we were paid the equivalent of two extra months of our salary...

Therefore, many non-educators may wonder, if it's not just for the breaks and it's obviously not for the pay, why teach?  I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but here are a few of my reasons:

Because being around kids all day keeps me young.
Because knowing kids are learning stuff because of me feels good.
Because reading is my favorite pastime and I hope to create a love for reading in as many kids as humanly possible.
Because every day is different.
Because I don't have to wear business attire.
Because I have students who greet me with "Hey Gorgeous!" in the morning.
Because I love to laugh and kids make me laugh.
Because a hug from a six year-old can turn a crappy day into a not-so-crappy one.
Because I never watch the clock, unless it's to make sure we go to recess on time.
Because I get to go on field trips, dress up for Halloween, and sing "On Top of Spaghetti".
Because I don't have to say, "I'm going to work."  Instead I get to say, "I'm going to school!"
Because the people I teach with are hands-down some of the best I've ever met.
Because reading children's writing is wonderful.
Because teaching math means I get to play games and use blocks.
Because I get twenty extra Christmas presents; half of which are lotion or mugs, the other half hand-drawn.
Because the kids truly believe I am a good artist.
Because I don't sit in a chair all day.
Because school lunch is sometimes yummy.
And yes, it's true... because when I work as hard as I work and get paid what I get paid, the breaks seem well-earned and are much appreciated. 

But as I begin this summer break - which will most definitely be enjoyed to the fullest - I find myself looking forward to the fall just a little bit.  Given all those reasons, how could I not?