The Student Has Become The Teacher

Last week at work, we were eating lunch (me and my ten kiddos) when all of a sudden they decided it was the day to do a Titanic show. 

We haven't talked about the Titanic much since last fall. The books have all been returned to the library or taken home. I was entirely unprepared. 

Luckily, they were so prepared to do this without me. 

One of them surveyed the rest of the group, marking their names underneath a "Yes" or "No" column. Afterwards she reported to the rest of the group who was interested. 

Then a few children worked together to create a giant whiteboard version of the Titanic. Complete with three functional and one fake smokestack (differentiated by a lack of smoke coming out of number 4). They remembered that the fourth stack was fake, added to make it look nice. 

After some debate they confirmed it sank in the Atlantic ocean, not Atlantis. 

Another child sounded out how to spell it on the board, which then acted as a guide for the other kids trying to write it. They then made a sign to be held at the beginning of the show. 

Children who aren't interested in singing, art or the Titanic were involved as members of the audience,  providing support and feedback for performers. 

They taught each other a song about the Titanic, practiced it over and over and over. Tried using and not using actions. Worked together to determine which words actually sounded like they fit in the song. 

A child who used to be incredibly shy, did the introduction, speaking loudly and clearly. 

A few others did a skit involving a paper iceberg and model Titanic.  They reminded their audience that it is an interesting topic, but not a funny one.

It was the best moment of my *still very new* teaching career. I couldn't believe how much they had remembered,  or how driven they were to create this show. 

I've been questioning my career path lately, but this moment was a great reminder that I do love this field. A reminder that they can learn so much when left to take control of activities (sometimes), I could see so much learning taking place. 

Hopefully this is the first of many reminders of what makes this job so special! 

Sorry for the lack of photo evidence, I didn't get any pictures of the magic happening (and even if I had- I couldn't have shared it here)! You can imagine what a 5 year old's recreation of the Titanic would look like! 

Keep Smiling :)