Rain+Students=Crazy Fun

The heavens opened this morning and rain fell.  I was thrilled! I even contemplated calling in and going to a local nature park exploring and planting my bottom by the river.  Responsibility of course won out and off to school I went.

Due to my love of rain I was bursting with energy.  And for some reason rain produces excess energy in students.  The rain would come in surges: rain hard, slow to a drizzle, stop and repeat.  Being the first of the month every student was required to complete a reading assignment on the computer.  Getting everyone settled, we were off to a great start when the next surge of rain rolled in…all of a sudden my precocious boy belts out, “It’s raining men…hallelujah!”  I could not help but bust out laughing.

To the energy my students already had, I  loaded them with sugar.  Today was national donut day.  Trying to keep students engaged up to the last day, I decided today’s writing lesson would be an object elaboration about a donut.  What better way to write and object elaboration then to have the object there.  Each student chose either a powdered or chocolate donut.  They then were allowed to eat half of the donut and create their plan for their writing…having to save their other half until they had written an elaborated middle.  Just that little bit of sugar mixed with their energy opened their flood gates of talking.  I enjoyed the day but was glad when the buses rolled out at 2:30 pm.

I stayed for while after school and began packing up my classroom for the end of the year.  But was eager to get home as the rain was coming in and I knew the Princess would want to play in the rain.  For about a half hour we jumped and ran through puddles, kicked water on each other and jumped on the trampoline.

After putting the princess down, I went for  a mile jog keeping the same intervals.  Unfortunately I didn’t have any pent-up energy and it took 13:49 to do 1 mile.  But at least I DID IT!