Recently I had the extraordinary pleasure of spending some time helping out inside Ms. Smith’s third-grade classroom at Carriage Crest Elementary. To start off with, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that my daughter Jordan is a student in this class, so I am a bit biased. This had the makings for being a distraction, as the kids get excited when guests visit. However, when I entered the classroom, Ms. Smith was in the middle of a serious discussion with the kids centering on behavior and consequences. This provided me enough cover to pull up a chair and listen in without a major disruption to the conversation.

Apparently I had just missed an indoor recess that didn’t go well. The focus was both on negative and positive consequences of our actions. Ms. Smith asked the kids about the relationship between actions and consequences, both positive and negative. The kids were engaged and showed an understanding of the ramifications of poor behavior and the benefits of good behavior at school.

They also discussed why the entire class should deal with the ramifications if only a few students were misbehaving, and what actions they might have taken to prevent this from happening. They discussed possible punishments and decided that the second recess of the day also would take place indoors and each student would have to choose from a select few quiet activities at their desk.

I quickly realized that because recess also is a break for the teacher, this was more punishment to the teacher than it was to the students, but it was more important to her that the kids learn a lesson. A lesson that is not reflected on their report cards.

Once the discussion was over we moved on to reading. First we listened as a story was read to the class, then had a discussion about various facets of the story and solicited feedback from and discussion among the students. The feedback was quite impressive, considering these are third graders and I had no idea how smart they really are.

I certainly don’t remember having these in-depth conversations until what seemed like high school. After some great questions and answers, we moved into individual and group reading, where I was able to spend a few minutes with each student to have them practice reading out loud. I witnessed a wide range of reading abilities. This really brought home the message to me about the fact that many teachers have kids ranging from highly capable to special education in their classrooms, and yet they must create a lesson plan that must challenge each of them at their individual capabilities. You can imagine what a huge challenge this is, and I must say that watching a skilled teacher meet this challenge is very remarkable and Ms. Smith proved to me that it can be done.

After a quiet indoor recess, we went on to computer lab. The students were studying their cultures and were tasked with creating an electronic postcard as if they were writing to their class from their country of origin. Their prior research on the subject was very evident as I walked around the class and read each student’s work. Some of their imaginations also were entertaining. Most of the students were very proficient in navigating programs and were able to discover new features on their own, like adding artwork to their postcards.

Now getting to and from the computer lab also is an exercise and learning experience unto itself. The kids are to line up and remain quiet and only then can they begin their walk to the lab so they do not interrupt the other classrooms. If the kids can perform and repeat these sorts of behaviors over a period of time, they are awarded with a class party.

It was fascinating to watch as some of the kids policed themselves by changing places in line, as they have come to recognize that if they are in line next to a particular student it might result in inappropriate behavior based on their past interactions and it might jeopardize their class party. This is yet another important skill that is being taught by our teachers that is not reflected on a report card but is as important as any other skill they will ever learn.

As we returned from the lab to the classroom and the kids organized their desks and gathered their belongings and prepared for their daily journey home, I watched them and reflected about what it would be like to be a teacher.

This was just one small snapshot of a 180-day school year. Having 25 different personalities and abilities that the teacher is responsible to bring to academic standard is a massive challenge.

Consider that some of them are not be getting attention they need at home. Some of them have health issues. Some may not have had breakfast or dinner the night before. Some cannot speak English. Some show up without a coat. Our schools are the safety net for many, many children to whom academics seems a distant second to the nurturing and comfort they receive at school, yet our teachers and schools must always staying focused on making the experiences, good and bad, a learning opportunity in a variety of ways. This is certainly a treasured and unique talent that requires an infinite amount of patience.

One final thought that was spurred by the indoor recess experience of this day. Some school districts have reduced or eliminated recess in favor of more class time in the elementary years in order to meet academic standards set by the “No Child Left Behind Act.” What a mistake. Not only do they need the social interaction outside the classroom, but they AND the teacher need a break from school work so that they can remain focused on the academics.

Thank you Ms. Smith and class for sharing your classroom with me!

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