As a storyteller

Yesterday was my first day to substitute teach. I substituted for an elementary school librarian. What an eye opening day it was!! I had no lesson plans but after the first class (kindergarten) came and left with a whirlwind of energy and confusion, I got things in order and figured out a pattern that worked the rest of the day. Basically, I was Storyteller.

There was something really invigorating about the whole thing. I've always wanted to be a storyteller. I think my very favorite part of the day was when I was reading this story called Wabi Sabi about a cat trying to find the meaning of her name to the students. The day broke down so that a group of kids from each grade (k-4) were under my care for an hour at different times. I figured I would learn a lot myself about how kids learn and at what ages they begin to really get more complex ideas. I also tried for each class to read the stories a little bit differently, emphasizing different themes. Sure enough, that changes everything in the students' retention and understanding. I always knew that repetition of the important themes was important but boy, I sure figured it out in practice. Anyway, the first graders got it okay but when I asked what Wabi Sabi's name meant, they just said it was a cat. I thought, well, at least they definitely got that part and they did enjoy the story. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, the book described it as being something simple and beautiful. It's actually a much more complex Japanese aesthetic of imperfection, asymmetry, impermanence, and simplicity. It interested me because we use the term in ceramics. I figured that since this idea might be a little more abstract for the age group I was working with, it would be an interesting experiment.

All that to say, second grade came and I began to tell the story. As I did with every class, I explained what a haiku was before I began reading because the story was told in part through haiku. The kids were attentive, quiet, and acted very interested. Then it happened. As Wabi Sabi the cat began to understand what her name meant, so did the kids. One little blonde-haired boy spoke up as I finished a page and said "Oh! That's what it means!" As I looked at him, he said, "It means simple and beautiful!" I got really excited. His eyes lit up so big. He got it. What a revelation! Especially since I knew that this was something they were having to really think about. It wasn't exactly defined outright in the book. As I finished the book, I asked the whole class what Wabi Sabi meant. For the most part, they understood! They were even able to tell me things that could be described as wabi sabi. Birds, worms, butterflies, trees, flowers, one boy even piped up and said "Me!" Though it was not a full understanding of the culturally dense term, it was such a neat experience for the students and for me. To see their eyes light up with excitement when they realized they were able to understand. Similar things happened with the third and fourth grade students. I just can't get over the light in their eyes.

So all in all, a good day for my first day teaching kids, especially without lesson plans.

 In conclusion, I cannot wait to give kids opportunities to light up with the joy that comes with understanding. I cannot wait to share stories, daily lessons, culture, and an incomprehensible excitement about learning. All that as a career. All that as a 'job' that I get paid to do. What a prospect.