Castles In The Sand

It was one of those quasi-miraculous days that begin in doubt and trepidation only to end in smiles and satisfaction. I understand that at this moment I'm speaking in hyperbole, and that by Monday morning things will have a way of evening out, but for now this feels like minor revelation.
The fear that started the day was legitimate enough: I was going on a field trip with my students and their families to Muir Beach. It was to be the culmination of a year-long program to educate fourth graders about the watershed they live in. Where do those storm drains lead to? What sort of plants and animals live in and around the bay? How do the things we do here on land affect the water in the ocean?
Early this morning my thoughts ran more along the lines of "How many will we bring back?" The answer? All of them. With smiles on their faces. I watched as a group of kids that routinely have trouble standing in line to go to lunch without incident sat side by side in a very full school bus next to parents and siblings for an hour and a half. Then they sat and ate a picnic lunch (some even shared their Go-gurts) while we arranged the activities on the beach.
We walked up a trail above the beach and looked for plants and animals, then we went back down and explored the tidepools. We saw starfish, sea anemones, and a few very shy crabs. Then it was time to hit the waves. It truly was a joy to watch children play in the surf. They got wet, they got sand all over themselves, and then ran back to the ocean to wash it off. All without a single problem.
I do know that the group I took was, to a certain extent, self-selected. The real hard cases wouldn't be caught dead at the beach with their families, but even some of the ones I had my doubts about came through like champs. Part of it has to do with the presence of their parents, but not all of it. I think the most important thing was that we took them out of their world for a day. They could be children, not grown-ups in training. They laughed and frolicked and were sad when it was time to go home. Still, not a cross word or pouting lip.
Sometimes I forget that I'm teaching ten year olds. It was nice to see a bus full of ten year olds and their families have a fun day at the beach.