Feel The Power

Kids say the darnedest things. "Mister Caven, were you acting like that just because there were people in the room?" Charlotte had a point. My principal and a pair of visiting math coaches had walked into my room just as I began to foam at the mouth about the thrills and excitement to be found in finding a rule for equations. I was, for lack of a better term, "acting weird." In fact I had hoped that my enthusiasm might carry over to my students and get them worked up enough about algebra that I would appear to be doing a stellar job teaching mathematics.
Yes. I was acting like that because there were people in my room, but I do tend to get excited about teaching math. There is little in the world that is more gratifying to me than when a kid looks up at me and says, "Oh, NOW I get it."
That being said, it's still very hard to shine your average fourth grader on. Case in point: The big Ice Cream Party for the best line ploy. It's a lot like Santa Claus at that age. You want to believe, because non-believers end up more disappointed in the lack of magic, but still - how can two grown-ups really watch all three hundred kids and be sure that the best line gets rewarded? Possible? Maybe. Probable? Let's just say that when my kids lost out "by just a few points" this week, there were some broken hearts, but mostly a lot of sideways glances, and a lot of resignation to the idea that getting an ice cream sandwich on Friday afternoon is under the purvey of a higher power.
Will I get an ice cream sandwich for my math lesson this week? I believe it can happen. Still, maybe I should take it down a notch or two - Charlotte's watching.