15 September 2009

My Love/Hate Relationship With Show and Tell

Today was the first day of Show and Tell.  I both love and hate Show and Tell at the same time.  I love it because of the chance to hear what my students have to say about the things they love.  To see how their oral language is developing.  I love it because, if a Show and Tell is great, I catch a little glimpse into a child's life.  

I hate it because...it takes so much time.  Time is limited these days in a classroom.  There are lessons to learn.  Tests to take.  You know, the boring stuff that makes kids dislike coming to school.  Unfortunately, that is what is becoming of education.  Teach.  Test.  Teach.  Test.  No time for this.  No time for that.  Take away the "extra" stuff (usually the fun stuff) to make room for the test.  ( Hopefully, you know me well enough to know that this is totally tongue in cheek...if you don't, it was.)

Before today, I would have said that I hate Show and Tell because of the mundane items the children bring.  A crystal.  A bouncy ball.  A lego.  A doll.  As I sat today and listened to my students tell about their items, it occurred to me that what may be mundane to me is a treasure to them.  I saw the light.  It was worth the time.  It was exciting for me to hear what they each had to say and the questions that the other students formulated and then articulated.

I take it back...I love Show and Tell!



                                             
Here is Tristan showing her dog, Sebastian.
Listen to the brilliant way they are house training the puppy.

Ethan brought a cicada that he found while he was in Texas.
Not only did he bring the bug, he had a bug book to go with it as well
as a picture of him with his uncle, and a live cicada.

Dallin won this medal for running a whole mile when he was in Idaho.

The bouncy ball of which I speak!
Chloe got this ball from her grandma's treasure box.
See!  I told you I was wrong.

One last picture of Tristen and Sebastian.



4 comments:

  1. Just to clarify, Dallin won the medal for running the 0.2 mile in Pocatello. But to his credit he did run in a race last Saturday that was a full mile and he came in 1st! Even beating his older brother!

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  2. Ethan's Grammy says:
    It was such a magical night. They had just arrived from their 24-hour road trip late at night, and when we went out in the backyard there were several cicadias coming out - We watched in amazement as their wings grew longer and longer right before our eyes - glistening in the moonlight. I've not seen any in our backyard coming out before or since. W.O.W.

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  3. Thanks for your comment Grammy. I could tell that it was a magical night just by the way Ethan was telling us the story. He must have said "Texas" five or six times! I'm so glad we have a reader from another state. I love that you are checking on your grandchild. He is a wonderful little boy.

    Oh, and Natalie...I think that Dallin could run TWO miles if he tried!

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  4. I was so excited to bring Sebastian over to the school, i was more excited to see him interact with the kids then he was to go for a walk. Thanks for letting us bring him in and i thought for sure when you asked if he was house trained you were worried he was going to piddle right there on the carpet! I made sure i walked him over so he had ample chance to take care of his business before getting to your room. I have a video of the same conversation you are having with her and i was telling lissette about Tristan taking her Sports Bra and you were laughing pretty hard at it! She couldn't wait to see the video but mine cuts off the first part when she leads up to it - thankfully yours has that part!

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