It's all in the delivery

Every Monday we forego our usual calendar routine to share about our weekends. I enjoy learning more about my students - what they like to do at home, movies they enjoy, important people in their lives.  It also serves the dual purpose as an oral language and listening activity.  Everyone has to share and everyone has to show good listening skills.  I model first by telling the students about my weekend including the fun and the mundane.

I'm beginning to think it might be better to vary our topic a little bit.  I have one little guy who tells me every week that he goes to the zoo.  If I ask if he did anything else, he tells me he "went to the 'quarium and saw mermaids swimming with the sharks."  Yes, every week he tells me the same thing.  Then there is one little girl who always repeats the same activity as another child in the class.

Today I had little girl take the cake.  Usually she has a hard time thinking of something to share, but today she looked directly at me and stated matter of factly that over the weekend she went to Europe.  I asked her, "What did you do in Europe?"  Without skipping a beat she responded, "I saw reindeer."  I couldn't help but smile.