An Amazing Sight

My car was one of the last cars to leave the school parking lot tonight.  As I drove out of the parking lot and headed down the street, It caught my eye.  Not that anyone could miss it.  This exceptionally bright moon.  This giant pearl hanging elagantly in the sky.  This amazing sight that practically took my breath away.

The sight of this moon carried my thoughts back to earlier in the day.  When I picked up my students from their music special, I noticed that three boys were sitting off to the side because they had been arguing with each other.  "I don't know what's going on." the music teacher sighed.  Maybe there's a full moon.  I chuckled.   I was really just kidding.  I had know idea we would have a full moon tonight.

Then it occurred to me...

I saw a lot of amazing things today.  

1. Today my first graders connected with another classroom in a different state using Google Hangout.  We read a readers' theater play together and the kids were amazing.  They greeted the other class so warmly.  They read their lines fluently and with great expression.  They shared their enthusiasm by asking great questions and responding to questions in return.
2. We had a visit from Luna the Literacy Dog and her owner (another teacher in our building) who read us a story while Luna sat and listened.  It always amazes me how animals have such a calming effect on kids.  Even my most active students were patient, calm, and gentle in their interactions with Luna.
3. On Thursdays my student receive 30 minutes of Chinese.  This is our first year of Chinese instruction in our building.  I'm amazed at how much my first graders have learned.  Today they were finishing a project and they were counting the parts in Chinese.  Their counting was so natural and instinctive.  I can't believe how much they've learned and what they remember.

I'm sure I'll see more amazing things before the night is over.  If not, all I need to do is look up…that Amazing moon is still there.