For Unto Us a Child is Born!

My brother Matt started a school in the worst neighborhood in Atlanta.  It's full of dilapidated houses and drug deals on the corners and prostitution and, among all that,... little children.

Last Christmas, we piled into Matt's van as he drove us around that neighborhood, explaining what goes down in this or that area of the neighborhood.  He lives in a nearby neighborhood with his family, and I couldn't help but notice how relaxed he was as he drove us slowly through the crack-house lined streets of English Avenue.  I was in the back seat with my sweet little niece and nephews, "casually" checking to make sure the doors were locked as two men appeared to be walking toward our van to see if we were there to buy drugs.

I wanted to say, "Matt, drive faster!  What the heck are you doing!  They think we're here for something else because we're driving slow and keep circling around!"  But my brother, in his confident way, just waved at them and kept driving...slowly, sharing with us his heart for the generation of children who are growing up in this neighborhood.  "See, right there! (pointing to two little kids).  They need a future.  They are why we have to start this school."  A pretty young girl (I estimated about 19 years old?) came walking out of an abandoned house to the right of us. I saw my dad in the front seat look at her with such compassionate eyes as he said, "Oh no, what a pretty girl."  And we all sadly wondered what she was just doing in there.  And a fervent prayer poured out of my mouth that God would draw her to Himself and have mercy on her.  I felt His heart for her.

My heart breaks to think about it even now.  That this is the story of many people.  The broken and the lost among us. How often I ignore them.

I think sometimes about the need for good teachers in the inner city.  My friend Christin is one of them.  I love her stories.

And then I think about me.  I have taught for 12 years in classical Christian schools in fairly affluent communities around the country.  Learned communities, clean communities.  I look at what Matt is doing and sometimes wonder if it would be more noble of me to teach in the 'hood.  Maybe I shouldn't be teaching at a classical Christian school in a nice neighborhood.

But then I think - Wait, the poorest of the poor or the wealthiest of the wealthy have this in common: the message of the Gospel is the same for them both.....They are both, we are all, in desperate need of a Savior.  Brokenness is everywhere.

I see a younger version of myself in many of my students. Happy students who aren't yet aware of the depravity of the world or the depravity of their own hearts and their great need for Jesus.

They think they're good enough.  That their families are good enough.  Like I did. That because they're not like those "bad" people, God loves them and accepts them.

I used to ask my 2nd graders, "Why do you think God gave us the Ten Commandments?" And the answer I got all the time was, "So that we can try harder to be good."

And that's when I broke it to them: "The Bible says you can never be good enough.  I can never be good enough. Your parents can never be good enough.  Our very very best behavior is not good enough for God."  And they would sit wide-eyed and confused, looking at me wondering what I would tell them next.  I could hear their thoughts: Didn't their moms drop them off at school this morning and tell them to "Be good"??  Isn't "being good" the goal?  Being clean? Being richer and happier?

And then I got to do my most favorite part of my job:  plant the seed of the Gospel and pray that it will take deep root in their hearts and grow over time.  I told them howJesus lived a perfect life because we couldn't do it.  That He's the only one who never broke any of the Ten Commandments. That all we have to do is put our trust in Jesus, believing that He is the only one "good enough" to God, admitting that we have no righteousness in ourselves.  And just like that, God accepts us.  He sees His perfect Son when He looks at all those who trust in Jesus to be their righteousness for them.

Among other subjects, I get to teach Bible.  When I taught 2nd grade, I was tasked to cover Genesis through Deuteronomy, the familiar Bible stories most of us know if we grew up in Sunday school: The Creation story, Adam and Eve, the Fall, Moses leading the people out of Egypt, the 10 Commandments, etc.  No problem.

When I was hired to teach 4th grade though at my new school in Florida, I learned I would be responsible for teaching all the Prophets (Elijah through Malachi).  Yikes!  It was the part of the Bible I was least familiar with (Obadiah?  Nahum?).  I could name the books of the Bible, but up until that year, I wasn't able to clearly articulate what was happening historically during those prophet years or how these men's books fit into the overall narrative of the Bible.  What if I butchered it?!

I remember collecting promises from some of these books in college, writing an out-of-context verse here and there in my journal and letting God speak to me through it. But I was missing so much of the big picture story of Israel that would have illuminated those verses to me.  I didn't know what I was missing.

I had a vague impression that I was missing a lot, but I was content for a long time to not know what those books were really about.

God in His sovereign wisdom though stirred my curiosity to take a class that was being offered at my church in Kansas City on the Prophet Books long before I knew I would be teaching on those books in Florida.  And the teacher before me left me fantastic outlines too which have have been a huge help.

I had a pastor once who would say, "When we study the Bible, we first have to know what God was speaking to the people then, before we can know what He is speaking to us now." 

Basically, I tell my students that the Prophet Books are full of bad news, followed by good news.  Israel divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, when some of the tribes did not want to follow one particular king.  Israel continued to sin, worshipping false gods, acting unjustly to the poor among them, trusting other nations to protect them instead of trusting God, etc.  So God sent prophets to warn them to repent or He would send judgement.

The people of Israel didn't know they were far off from God.  They half-heartedly followed Him, doing a religious ritual here and there, while mostly doing what they wanted.

A holy God, by his very nature, cannot tolerate sin (or He wouldn't be holy).  Israel's God, in his perfect holiness, could not ignore their perpetual sin any longer.  Like any loving parent, he HAD to discipline them. He had to correct them.  Fourth graders get this when I say, "Would your mom and dad do nothing if you continued to disobey them over and over again?  If they told you not to eat any cookies before dinner, and you ate a handful of Oreos before dinner in plain sight of your parents, would they turn their heads and pretend like you did nothing wrong? If you continued to hit your brother after your parents clearly told you not to, would they pretend they didn't see it?  Of course not!  They love you! They cannot ignore your sin!"

So God let Israel be taken captive by the Assyrians.  And later on, Judah, who thought they were let off the hook, was taken captive by the Babylonians.

Over and over, in the Prophet Books, we see the same thing - God sends a prophet to:

1. Warn of impending judgement because of Israel and Judah's continued sin
2. Describe their sin
3. Describe the coming judgement
4. Call them to repentance
5. Promise a future deliverance

Bad news, then good news.

We're studying Isaiah right now in fourth grade, and oh! I love it!  We are discussing Isaiah's message of hope that God still loves his people even though he had to punish them.....and that ultimately God would send a Savior who would bear all their sins.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
-Isaiah 9:6

7 

We listened to the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's "Messiah" after reading Isaiah 9:6, where Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus, our Savior's, birth.  Hallelujah indeed!

I love teaching my students how all the books of the Bible point to Jesus.  If you have a reader in the family, these books make great Christmas gifts!

How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens

The Jesus Storybook Bible - Great for kids and adults!

Merry Christmas, friends!  A Savior was sent for us!  I hope you are enjoying this season!

School Days: And all of a sudden they were seniors

I started my 12th year of teaching this week and have been loving getting to know my new group of students. Ah, childhood.

We elementary school teachers probably spend more waking hours with our students than with anyone else for nine months out of the year.  Needless to say, a special bond is formed.  Every year I refer to my students as "my kids" when I talk about them to my friends and family.  

The other day, I realized that my very first class of 1st graders that I ever taught are now SENIORS!

They were in my class when they were 6 years old, learning how to read and add and subtract and properly hold a pencil and control the impulse to flail their arms while walking in line.  And now, well...some of them can vote.  And they're choosing colleges and will soon live on their own.  Time marches on.  Selah.

Wait a minute. They're seniors?  How is that even possible??!

I've taught with teachers who have been in the game much longer than me and who have even taught their previous students' children.  How cool is that?  While I don't know what that feels like, I must say it does feel incredibly satisfying to think of my first set of kids graduating this year.

I remember each one of them, and oh I can tell classroom stories!  I used to keep a journal dedicated soley to all the funny things my students said in class.  I abandoned that halfway through my first year though because it just became too hard to keep track of the darling hilarity that ensued on a regular basis.

My first class, 2004 

I would love to know how each of them are doing, but I don't live in Colorado anymore and am only still in contact with three of the families.  What I would LOVE is to pose them in this same picture in the same positions, just 12 years later.  Wouldn't that be fantastic?

Anyway, this post is dedicated to you, class of 2016.  You are remembered!  And loved!

Farewell Kansas City: Saying goodbye to my students

We have been in Florida for over 4 months.  There is much to say.

For now though, I feel reminiscent and impressed to write a farewell message to Kansas City.  It's overdue.

I'll start with my class.

In May, I said goodbye to my 2nd graders.  They were a great bunch - eager to learn, thoughtful, comical - a delight to me.

I was careful not to burden them with my emotions that last week of school, as I was processing the miscarriage.  They had no knowledge of the pregnancy in the first place and needn't be informed on their last week of school.  Besides, we had the business of learning to get to.

Still, some children are perceptive and sense when something feels "off."  A couple of my girls brought me bouquets of picked dandelions at our last recess, and my most hyper boy even took time to make me a little dandelion ring and presented it to me with such gentleness.  It was very sweet.

And I saw again, on that last day, what a gift these children are and was glad God saw fit to entrust them to me.

My apologies for the weird circles.  I just don't feel comfortable displaying their identities 
without asking for parental consent.

We ended the year with a little donut/milk party, sitting in a circle on the ground together, reciting our sound-offs, chants, and songs and sharing our favorite 2nd grade memories.  It was a sweet time.

We had recently learned how to write different kinds of poems - limericks, haikus, couplets, acrostics, etc. And I was really excited to surprise them with framed acrostic poems of their names on the last day. There's just something about seeing your name in print.  Especially as a child.

Looking into their faces, as happens at the end of every school year for me, all their good qualities and individual endearing quirks and ways they have grown came to the forefront of my mind, and I got all sentimental inside.

Here are some highlights from our year:

Girls' Christmas tea and ornament exchange

Fresh off the boat!
Arriving to "Ellis Island" hoping to start a new life in America on "Immigration Day."

This family is hoping not to get deported by the immigration officer.

Deported!
(They were making sad faces)

immigrants getting their first taste of bananas
What are these strange fruits?

On his paperwork, I see that "Sven" here can't read English.
Sorry sir, I have to deport you.

Relieved citizens, after taking the oath
(everyone made it to America eventually)

Other memories:

enjoying the symphony

observing ants tunneling in their gel farm - so interesting!

simple machine demonstration

proudly displaying our class science fair project - they all pitched in to put it together

On the end of the table there is "King Cluck", our mummifying chicken.  The children developed a dear affection for King Cluck and asked eagerly to check the salt everyday to see if he was ready for wrapping.  We wrapped and "buried" him at the end of the year in a "secret, underground" tomb.  May he rest in peace.

Visiting a one-room schoolhouse after reading Little House on the Prairie
It's like stepping back in time.  I love it.

last day hugs

It was a good year.  Though it may have been my last year ever teaching 2nd grade. (sniff)

I now teach 4th grade in Florida.  God, in his graciousness, has led me to another wonderful classical, Christian school here.  I love it so much.

If a 2nd grade position was open, I would have asked for it.  But I'm not as intimidated as I once was about changing grades, and think the transition is helping me grow as a teacher. I arrived here really excited about it actually.  Nervous, but excited.  I love the 4th grade curriculum I'm teaching, and I love going deeper with older students.  And my colleagues are fantastic.

Still, I will always remember with such fondness the past two years in Kansas City, teaching 2nd grade to these precious ones.

School Days: Field Trips

This week, some teachers and I took our classes on a field trip to see the symphony.

You've never seen children so excited to ride a bus.
Private school means no buses, which makes bus-riding a novel treat.

Of the varied field trips I've gone on as a teacher - science museum, nature center, the zoo, art museum, one-room school house, that alpaca farm once - the symphony is probably my favorite field trip.

Maybe I like that the students are easy to keep track of because they're all sitting down the whole time. But I think I love it because the music is so uplifting.  It's relaxing to sit and just...listen.

Unfortunately, a little boy from another school got sick in the middle of Bach's fugue and threw up over the balcony.  I felt terrible for him.  And for his teacher.  That's so embarrassing to get sick like that in such a public place.  And to miss the rest of the music, ah, my heart just went out to him.

On a gladder note, we heard the pipe organ played.  I don't know if I've ever heard a pipe organ like this in person.  We learned that it has over 5,000 pipes!  Some of them as small as your pinky finger, others taller than your house.  There's a whole room of pipes behind that wall.  The organist showed us by "walking inside of her instrument" through a little door and turning on the lights in that pipe room.  You can kind of see some on the pipes showing through the wall on the lefthand side of the organ.

When she played loudly on the last piece called "Organ Symphony", the sound of the organ filled the place.  It was magnificent.  My breath caught a little bit.

Do you have a favorite field trip you went on as a child?

School Days: My tiny brain and THE INFINITE MIND OF GOD

It's hard to believe tomorrow is February.  This month has flown by.

After Christmas Break, we were back to our normal scene - Matt catching up on studying, me on grading.

He's handsome.

No, we don't always do our work at a cute coffee shop.  Usually we're in our sweats in the living room - much less cool looking.  But this day, we ventured out and made a day of it.

As I was trying to make sense of this:

I'm glad to live in Missouri, not Misery :)

I peeked over to see what Matt was trying to make sense of:

Sometimes when I look over and see something really complex, I'll jokingly roll my eyes and say something sassy like, "Childsplay.  That's so obvious."  He smiles, because he knows what I'm really  thinking is, "uhh..."

When he asks me to help him study, I usually have trouble pronouncing the words in the questions.  He knows what I'm supposed to be asking though and proceeds to answer without making me feel bad.

I joke further and say I feel a little like this next to his cranium full of medical knowledge:

The more Matt learns about the human body, the more I marvel at our Intelligent Designer.

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!..." Romans 11:33

I'm currently teaching about the Solar System in 2nd grade again.  I taught it in first grade at my old school for 8 years.  And every year I get to this unit, my mind is blown...again.  From teeny tiny mitochondria to ENORMOUS galaxies, my sweet Lord, who bends low to converse with me, is the author of it all - the Almighty God of the Universe

"in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  Colossians 2:3

My students had to research and write at least 2 interesting facts of their own about each planet.  I liked this so much better than giving them a worksheet like I've done in the past (blah).  They really got into it.

Just think, astronomers and doctors have studied and researched for thousands of years and still admit that they've only scratched the surface.  More has yet to be discovered.  More that God already knows all about because He made it.

We have to study and study and stretch our minds to try to grasp these things.  But God doesn't.  At all.

As one author said, "He's not overwhelmed by numbers, nor stupefied by detail." - B.Knox The Everlasting God

I, on the other hand, am OFTEN overwhelmed by numbers and stupefied by detail. Yesterday, I had to take a nap just trying to organize my closet.

I think how this everlasting God allows people to discover the workings of his creation - people who call Him Lord and plenty who do not.  Plenty who don't even acknowledge His existence but are happy to take credit for discoveries.

I imagine a little ant telling his little ant friends, "Hey, look what I found!"  instead of, "Hey, look what He made!"

I love 2nd graders' responses.  They show their awe and delight with such unabashed enthusiasm ("Whoa!!")  And I'm right there with them - 23 little ants, myself included, in awe of the God of the Universe.  He is all-knowing!  He is so creative!  He is infinitely wise!

School Days: A teacher's take on books (part 1)

This past Memorial Day, I attended an outside concert with some friends here in Kansas City on the lawn of the National World War I Museum.  It was wonderfully patriotic and well done. One of the highlights was when some injured soldiers from the Wounded Warrior Project sang a moving rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

There was a Pirates exhibit at Union Station, in case you're wondering, "Why the pirate banner?"

Then came fireworks.

Imagine my bewilderment when I looked over and saw a young boy (around 12 years old) playing a video game on an ipad.  I wanted to cup my hands around my mouth and call out, "YOU'RE AT A FIREWORKS SHOW.  Watch the fireworks!"

Aside from the seeming evidence that screen-stuff (real technical wording here) is addictive and is robbing people from real experiences these days, there are other reasons why I am a little wary of screen time. Especially for children.

Studies have shown that children read more when they have access to interesting books.

Sounds pretty obvious.

Did you know that there's a strong correlation between the physical number of books in a classroom and the success of student reading?  That fact alone made me raid library giveaways and welcome book donations with open arms (given that the books aren't full of junk).

If you are interested in this topic, you may enjoy reading this article I found.  Though the article itself is dated, the content, I believe, still holds weight.

While technology in the classroom is faddish, there are many well-researched, good arguments that it's BOOKS we need to invest in when it comes to education.

The dean of the classical school I taught at in Colorado gave me a copy of The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr, and it opened. my. eyes.

One tidbit of information that I found interesting is the recent discovery that Silicon Valley CEOs send their children to computer-free schools.  Yes.  It is true.  Let that sink in.

"Why is this?", I asked myself.  Could it be because they best understand the effects of computers on children's brains?


Now, do know that I'm not anti-computers nor anti-internet (I'm typing this on my blog, for Pete's sake), and Carr himself does not go on a crusade for everyone to unplug and put their cultural heads in the sand.  As a writer by trade, he spends plenty of time on his computer and readily admits to emailing, blogging, scanning articles, facebooking, etc.

He also admits to experiencing both positive and negative brain-shaping effects of these activities.

Lest I get on a judgmental high horse, I admit that I too feel the effects of my technology use.

It resonated with me, this book.  When I spend too much time surfing the web - a little Pinterest here, a little MSN news there, with, I admit, sometimes the shameful click on "Entertainment News" to see what the stars wore on the red carpet...or to the grocery store (I hang my head at this confession), a little facebook here, a little online Target browsing there -  I can almost feel my brain changing as my eyes bounce around the screen, scanning for information I'm looking for, my finger quickly clicking to minimize ads or to open a new window.

I feel the effects when I pick up a book right after screen time and my eyes need to adjust to not getting my information through pixels, or when I have to reread the page 3 times because I realize that I haven't been paying attention to the words (words that are staying put), or when I walk away with a general impression of what I have read, instead of a clear remembrance of the words, the phrases, the sentences that the author deliberately chose to use.

Here's a quick summary of The Shallows taken straight from amazon.com for those who would rather scan the gist instead of read the book (no shame in that, but pun intended).  I even highlighted parts for ease of scanning, because that's what I might do.  see? My brain has changed. Oy.

BOOK SUMMARY:
“Is Google making us stupid?” When Nicholas Carr posed that question, in a celebrated Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the Net’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply? 

Now, Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. As he describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by “tools of the mind”—from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer—Carr interweaves a fascinating account of recent discoveries in neuroscience by such pioneers as Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel. Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways. 

Building on the insights of thinkers from Plato to McLuhan, Carr makes a convincing case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic—a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. He explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. In stark contrast, the Internet encourages the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from many sources. Its ethic is that of the industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption—and now the Net is remaking us in its own image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection. Part intellectual history, part popular science, and part cultural criticism, The Shallows sparkles with memorable vignettes—Friedrich Nietzsche wrestling with a typewriter, Sigmund Freud dissecting the brains of sea creatures, Nathaniel Hawthorne contemplating the thunderous approach of a steam locomotive—even as it plumbs profound questions about the state of our modern psyche. This is a book that will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds.

- Michael Aggar

Some fellow teachers and I have been taught to recommend no more than 1 hour of screen time a day for children.  Overuse of screen time is thought to affect their sleep and cut into their active and creative play time that is critical to brain development.  And children's brains are still developing well into their teens.  I find this fascinating.

I'm no expert on the human brain.  Matt just finished his Neuro block in med school, and, from what I gather, "complicated" doesn't even begin to describe the complexities of the human brain that God designed.  (Sheesh - neurologists even say that there is still so much we have yet to discover about the brain).  Needless to say, I don't claim to understand all the science behind the above claims, or to know if the science is 100% accurate, but, as a teacher, I feel it my duty to at least present the possible findings, especially to parents who inquire my opinion (though, I would be mortified to come across as a "know-it-all").  I'm ever-learning and see myself as simply one in a community of learners.

So, a few years ago, when a mom of one my first graders asked me my thoughts on whether or not she should buy a Kindle for her 7 year-old son for Christmas to promote reading, I cautiously and honestly proceeded to tell her what I had read about screens potentially adversely affecting children's vision and the way they process information.  If, in fact, neural pathways are wired by how we get our information, then I hesitate to promote e-books for children.

I chose to leave out my personal opinion that a 7-year old owning an expensive piece of equipment like a Kindle just doesn't sit well with me. I just presented her with some possible findings, and let her read up on it and decide for herself.   She came back and told me that she ended up not buying the Kindle for him.  For what it's worth, in the classroom, I saw no detrimental effects of this decision on the boy's learning.  But I did see him take off as a reader, learning from real, genuine, page-filled, paper books.

Suffice it to say - in the age of smart boards, video games, and increased computer lessons for younger and younger children, I argue for less screen time and more books.

And by books, I mean worthy books.  I see plenty of cute children's books that lack substance, or popular books that inadvertently promote bad ideas (ie. the main character is sassy or "humorously" devious).  But that's another conversation.


*For my "teacher's take" on good books, tune in soon for Part 2 of this topic.

School Days: when worms invaded my classroom

There are many lovely things I cherish about teaching 2nd graders.

I love their wide-eyed eagerness when they discover a new chapter book or series.

I love when we do well-done and worthwhile projects that enrich learning.

I love watching them present reports with growing poise and confidence.

 I love learning alongside them about the great men and women in history and then discussing worthy ideas like compassion, honesty, and self sacrifice.

I love watching their handwriting improve (hopefully) and seeing them learn, remember, and (again hopefully) apply the rules of the English language.

Did you know there are 29 spelling rules of the English language? Have you been staying up at night wondering why our words are spelled the way they are?

I love when science experiments work out the way I envision them in my head (though that doesn't always happen, like last week when my balloon ripped.  Talk about anti-climactic).

I love working at a Christian school where we can openly talk about God and His faithfulness, sovereignty, provision, and love.  I love memorizing Scripture along with my students, hiding it in my own heart, as they're hiding it in theirs.

I love that they think classifying sentences is fun.

I love the comical/odd things I overhear on a regular basis.

• "Did your uncle ever rob people at sea?  Because that's what pirates do" - (having misheard another boy who said that his uncle was a pilot).
• "Mrs. Jackson, thanks for making our brains smart." (said by quiet girl while lining up)
• When the students were tasked to bring in one special item that told us something about them the first week of school. - "I brought this to show the class because I love animals." (as he held up a clear plastic bag with a dead hummingbird scraped up from the parking lot).  Gulp.
• (getting out of line to walk up and tell me this, while flexing bicep) "Do you want to feel my muscle, Mrs. Jackson?"  No, I want you to get in line :)

What I don't love is when worms invade my classroom.

A couple months ago, my students and I discovered little white worms periodically here and there on the floor and in our basket where they keep their pencil bags.

Not worms.  More like grubs.  Larvae.   Ugh, I really don't like that word right now.

Exhibit A:

I finally figured out that the larvae was coming from acorns that the students were collecting and bringing inside from recess.

Now, if I'm ever a mom to little boys, I will certainly let them play in the dirt and hold bugs and touch worms. I see it as part of childhood and discovery.  Getting dirty doesn't bother me.  I had no problem with my students' little acorn collecting hobby (granted that they didn't eat them, throw them at each other, or get distracted by them when back in class). Harmless.  "They're just curious about nature," I thought, "and I don't want to stifle that."  But when little critters start to make their way inside and into places they shouldn't be, that's where I draw the line.  For a teacher, her classroom is like her second home, a place where she spends a lot of time.  And I don't want larvae in my home.

So, I did the only logical thing - I put a ban on bringing acorns into the classroom.

But then, these past two weeks the worms have been spotted again.  I don't know how many times the students said, "Mrs. Jackson, there's another weevil on the ground!"  And I would have to go pick it up with a kleenex and throw it away.  This happened multiple times the other day.  Five.  Maybe six?  It was getting old.

Each time, I noticed that the larva was located around the same little boy's desk.  Hmmm...

So I ask him, "_________, do you have any acorns in your desk?"

To his credit, he was honest.  "Well, I guess I have these..." (as he proceeds to pull a ziplock bag FULL of acorns out of his pencil bag.  The bag had holes in it and was moist with condensation - a larvae haven.)

I walked over to his desk and took a peek inside the pencil bag from whence the acorns came and saw (brace yourself) several little, white larvae inside among his tools, some dead, some crawling around.

(Let's all pause to wiggle our bodies at the grossness of this.)

Because of the class time missed to deal with the larvae situation, it was suddenly time to take my students to lunch (I know, gross timing, right?), then recess.

Needless to say, the boy (who I enjoy as a person and a student, though I didn't appreciate the worm thing) had to discard of his beloved acorn bag immediately and, during recess, clean out his pencil bag, check his desk for other critters, and wash his hands.

While the children were out of the room, I snapped these pics so that I could show my husband what the bugs looked like, so he could help me identify them.  They are indeed acorn weevil larvae.

incriminating bag

found in boy's pencil bag, crawling among his pencils

Here's a chant that another teacher suggested I could teach my class next:

No more Acorns in our room

Teacher must get out a broom

Little worms upon the floor

Really must stay out of door.

Isn't that great?  Some teachers get all the rhyming talent.

So there's a little peek into my teaching world.  Some days I feel great.  Some days I feel like I fail.  Some days I'm surprised.  Some days I'm delighted.  Some days I'm grossed out.