Sheila Sims Iding
It seemed like a good idea. Most spur-of-the-moment teaching ideas seem like a good idea. It was a beautiful day outside. They got their work done early…even with an extra math paper thrown it. They were working so hard and so focused…it seemed like a good idea.
Our work was done. We had 25 minutes before computers. We had two workbook pages we could do today instead of tomorrow. That would mean more time for math games and iPad activities tomorrow. But they just sat through two math papers. They needed to move a bit. So….let’s go outside and do the work sheets. It seemed like a good idea.
I made the “we –are-going-outside-to-work” announcement. (Cheers!!) I sent the captains to the office to let them know. We had a book to write on (like a desk), a pencil and our worksheets. We were ready to go outside and enjoy a beautiful fall day and do some work. Good idea. Or so it seemed.
We made our circle on the big cement area just to the right of the front door. We sat with “pretzel” legs and were just beginning to enjoy this good idea when it all started to turn into a not-so-good idea….
1) The roly poly bug caught the attention of 5 boys and then 2 girls and then 3 more kids. How can a sight word worksheet compete with the science of a slug bug? Not to mention “the biggest roly poly” one boy had ever seen!
2) The papers started to blow all over. Again with the science lesson of wind force in a semi-enclosed area.
3) The wind made the beautiful warm fall day not so warm and after about 4 or 5 “observations” of “it’s cold out here”, the day didn’t seem so beautiful anymore.
4) Through wind and cold and slug bugs, we finally get settled to work and one little girl forgot her pencil. Mrs. McKerr was gone this afternoon and I wasn’t going to take everyone back inside for a pencil or send her in alone so…she shared with her neighbor. That slowed the answer process a little.
5) The answers for this one paper were our spelling words this week. Apparently they have a different list than the one we are using in the classroom. The answers they were giving weren’t only the wrong answers; they weren’t even spelling words.
6) As I passed out the second paper I knew it would go better and it did until the back of the paper where they got to do it on their own. Such grown up first graders…”finish it on your own and bring to me to check”. I will go sit in the sun so you will have room to line up (and I was cold too but it had been “observed” enough so I didn’t have to say it again.)
7) The direction was easy. Bring me your paper when you are done. I will check it and then you can line up quietly at the door and wait to go back in….or sit in the sun to warm up a bit. It seemed like a good idea for a direction. Until the line up at the door became the “party” at the door and it happened to be by the security monitor so anyone in the office could watch “the party”.
So…after a “stronger” direction the party stopped and we went quietly back inside. We put away papers and books and pencils to get ready for computers. As we walk outside again to head to computers we walk past our “outdoor classroom” area and I began to think “maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.” Then I thought of that “big” roly poly bug, that cool breeze and that dancing at the door as they lined up to go back inside and I thought of the smiles and the laughter and even the learning that took place and I think I was right from the beginning…it did seem like a good idea after all.