Students outsides of class

Every chance I got today, I got away from my computer and walked out on the patio on the back of school (pics to come) to enjoy the breeze off the sea and talk to the kids. I did this also during lunch time today and Friday. Kids get an entire hour for lunch so they spend the time playing sports, music, or just visiting. I walked down to the gym on Friday to scope out a setting for a lesson I was going to do with my 2nd graders conversation class--okay it was a game of "I'm going on a picnic."

I found a couple of of my third grade students--these are in the 3rd grade of middle school which is roughly equivalent to high school freshmen--playing the piano, three of my first graders break dancing on the stage, and a few others just scattered around talking. The first graders were hamming it up and eager to show off their moves.

Today, I rode the bus home for the first time. I sat with a few students at the bu stop. Even though I was listening to my Dell DJ music player (to Sufjan Steven's Seven Swans), I couldn't help but overhear them collaborating on questions for me. Finally one of the boys got up the courage to come and ask me, "What's your favorite singer." For a second, I was tempted to tell them someone they would know. However, I was true to myself, and told them "Wilco." I then showed them my complete Wilco collection on my player.