Happy Moment

I have been enjoying the last few weeks of some fantastic classes. I will be sad to see them go. Right now all my classes are in the middle of completing their final projects which are all pretty cool, I must admit. Even cooler is that they are all pretty darn engaged. You know that a unit is going good, when for a few days near the middle, after they are all on course but before they all start finishing, there are moments when the whole entire class forgets to talk. It is beautiful. They are all dutifully and intently scribbling away, a complete silence has fallen over the classroom (not out of fear or boardom... but out of academic engagement!!!), and in front of every child a genuine piece of art. (art being defined as having a concept, creativity and being intentional, and in my students' case... being way cute or way cool) Anyway, we were having such a moment the other day. I sat back to enjoy it. I had to let them know what joy they brought to my heart. So I told them that I was in the middle of a "teacher Happy moment" brought on by their wonderful-ness. I can say geeky things like that to 6th graders. Then, right after that, this small fry asks "When do you go to PE?" in tone that shows how eager he is for that day! Happy moment, shattered! What? Any kid should be grief stricken at the thought of leaving my class. Right? So I say, "Dude you just ruined my happy moment." Half of the class class giggles, which is what I was going for, but the other half, were actually like "geeze guy! why'dya hafta go and ruin miss's moment!" What is this? They care? Oh sweet, happy moment is back. Then another kids starts to ask a question, but didn't get past the second word, he was shusshed by the class. Ahhh, double happy moment. I enjoyed maybe a minute more of quiet, before they were back to normal, but that is all I needed.