We’ve been trying to practice transitioning from morning recess to writing with a little writing warm up.

Our notebooks are supposed to be on our desks before we even go out to recess, a pencil too.

“Or a pen!” My second-graders like to remind me every time I say the word pencil. Choices are important.

Today I asked them to write “In December, I am…” at the top of their page, and then to draw 3 things they are doing in December.

“I don’t know what I am in December.” Someone said to another teacher working with them later.

Me neither, buddy. Me neither.

But I drew my examples. I labeled them with captions:

In December I am reading books every day.
In December I am walking Finn in the freezing, freezing cold.
In December I am sitting, resting near the candlelight.

I thought to myself how funny it is that teaching writing is both telling the truth and lying at the same time.

In December I am reading books every day, yes. I am trying for at least a picture book a day this month at school. Plus, we are trying to finish Wild Robot. Two days in, and I’m doing great! 4 books already, and Wild Robot time too. But I haven’t sat on my couch and read a book for me in a very, very long time.

In December I am walking Finn in the freezing, freezing cold, yes. But not as much as I should. He’s antsy, I’m busy. It’s freezing, freezing cold out there.

In December I am sitting, resting near the candlelight. If you can call my artificial Christmas tree, pre-strung with LED lights, “candlelight.” But, I didn’t want to make my example about a specific holiday. Sometimes I do light a candle… but, do you count it as resting if you are working near the Christmas tree?

It’s storytelling time in second-grade. We are reading and writing imaginative stories, asking “What lessons can we learn from the characters in stories.”

Today I asked the kids what story they love.

“I don’t know what story specifically,” my favorite answer began, “I just know I love beautiful stories.”

Me too, buddy. Me too.

We warmed up in math with a problem to do on the number line. If I am 47 this month, and the other second-grade teacher is 26, what is the difference in our ages? I made the problem up, the number line work is solid. But it doesn’t mean I loved the answer.

“21!” They figured out.

“And that’s how old I am!” My student teacher said.

Tonight I made myself stop making my “What lessons can we learn from characters?” chart, and start packing up to go home. It was dark, late, my animals needed dinner, and I had not been successful drawing a stick figure squirrel character for the Snow Thief character’s lesson.

“The kids will do a much better job drawing the characters sketches,” I reminded myself. “Why was I taking that away from them anyway?”

I walked toward my classroom door, made sure I had everything I needed. I was ready to turn off all my little lamps with my remote. I’m so proud about remembering to do that every day.

I had to pause as I passed the Storyteller Fireplace. Our bear was sitting, waiting for tomorrow’s stories I guess.

“Goodnight Fireplace, goodnight bear.” I thought.

And then I wondered why I wasn’t stopping to take pictures of all the things in my classroom so I could go home and write a book called “Goodnight Classroom.”

Which I guess would make me the quiet old lady, whispering, “hush.”

If I’m the character in this story, I so hope there is a different lesson I might learn from my day.