Today was the last day for students to attend school in our hybrid AM/PM schedule. They will be remote for the rest of the week to allow time for parent conferences and then after a week off for spring break, the class will unite and become one whole class that attends school all 5 days together. I look forward to this coming together–and hope that the two halves of my class will complement each other.
The PM group is the half that NEEDS their fresh air break. They burst from the classroom doors when it is time, unleashing the energy that they have tried (not always successfully) to contain in the classroom. Today started no different. Most of the kids skipped eating a snack and headed straight for the playground equipment. But a couple sat on the grass to eat a bite…and before I knew it, they were chasing ladybugs.
And catching them.
Gently cupping them, they lifted them from the grass to bring them to me to photograph. (I love that they know that I will want to take photos!) They transferred these brilliant red polka-dotted beauties from the cupped palm to rest on the arm so I could get close for a clear, close up photo with my phone. Somehow they could find these tiny gems when they were not visible to others. Like jewelry, they wore these insects as they danced around the field. Sometimes the ladybugs rested patiently on the arm, other times they spread and fluttered their tiny wings in a blur of red.
These kids never stop talking. They kept up a torrent of descriptions and theories as they ran and collected these friendly insects. One theory they floated was that the number of dots was equal to the age of the bug. (Were they thinking days? Insects don’t tend to live very long lives!) Luckily I had just read an article on ladybug varieties, complete with gorgeous photos (who knew that would come in handy!), so I was able to talk to them about the large number of varieties of ladybugs that exist.
An impromptu break chasing ladybugs was the just right way to end this current mode of teaching. Moments like these remind me how much I enjoy the exuberance and energy of children–and the ways they fuel my teaching and my own learning.
Thinking Through My Lens 
I love the contrast between the exuberance of the kids that you describe, and their gentleness and interest in the ladybugs. Your love for your students really shines through.
Our two cohorts were very different in personality (which I found interesting). The first cohort was small, contained, mostly quiet, gentle. The second was loud, boisterous, chatty. Now that we all are back, I am working overtime to make sure the kids from the quiet cohort are not overwhelmed by the kids in the loud cohort, so that we are one single class. It’s interesting and keeping me forever on my toes — along with a constant stream of: keepyourdistance maintainsocialdistance sixfeetapart staysafe …. on and on and on
Kevin
You’ve captured a joyous moment of teaching with your words and your pictures! But what does the number of spots on a ladybug mean? I’ve always wondered!