Stacey’s MM: Sometimes You Have to Let Your Hair Down

I’ve come to believe that sometimes we (i.e., teachers) need to be silly. That could mean jumping into a fountain or jumping into a photograph with a student that you weren’t exactly supposed to be in.

I remember eating nachos and salsa alongside my students during the second of three mini courses. One of my students grabbed the camera and started taking photographs so as to preserve the giggles and laughter that accompanied our thank-you-card-making-activity. He went to take a photo of one of my students who was laughing herself and then I decided to pop-in and make a silly face.
“What are you doing Ms. S.?” the student asked.
“Playing around!”
“But you’re a teee-cher!” the child responded.
“So!??!” I said in a whiny, child-like voice.
Pause. “That’s cool,” the student said.
This tiny moment made me realize that sometimes we have to act silly in front of our students (not in the first six weeks of school though) because being all-business, all-the-time is no fun!