Over the Years

It's early morning.  The last day of school for 2012 is upon us as Winter Break will begin at 3:00 pm today.  The classroom is empty with the exception of the Christmas music playing in the background.  The students' desks are neatly waiting for their owners to arrive.  On each desk lay a Friday Reflection assignment, a candy cane, and two spearmint starlight mints.  

I've spent 18 years working with children ranging from ages 5-12.  Beginning in 1994 in my hometown of Oak Park working with Hephzibah Children's Association until 2001 when I had my first 4th grade class here at Lincoln.  Over those many years I have witnessed the delight in hundreds of childrens' eyes at the mention of Christmastime and the Holiday Season.  

Times have changed dramatically since my first experience working with kids.  Five Presidents have been elected, the millennium was ushered in under the cloak of Y2K, the Twin Towers fell and brought with it the fall of the times we once knew, wars have been waged-fought-ended, natural disasters have plagued our planet, exploration of outer space has made leaps and bounds bringing us images beyond belief, technology has soared into realms that mirror Star Trek and The Jetsons, the Doomsday warnings have come and gone, groups of people have "occupied" cities and government agencies and agendas, violence has taken a turn towards the most vulnerable, friendships have been made between individuals and societies.  

Personally speaking, I secured a job that has brought me joy.  I met my beautiful wife and had three gorgeous children.  I've lost many family members young and old, have gone through 7 cars and lived in 3 apartments, one condo and two houses.  I've housed two cats and one dog.  I live with the knowledge and experience of one of my children battling a terminal illness.   I have watched my children, my nieces, and my nephews grow and flourish, and they continue to do so.

With all that has changed (and I'm sure there is more I could write) one thing has remained constant.

The unconditional love of children.  

Just as I was writing this reflection two children brought presents in for their classmates, secretly placed them on their desks, and scurried out of the room, giggling inside, I'm sure, as they felt the goodness of the Holiday Spirit. 

The unconditional love of children hasn't changed a bit and never will...for it's through this love they naturally possess that makes our world go 'round.  It's from this love that we, as adults, seek to better the world for them.

As you journey through this Holiday Season, as you reflect on the year past, take some time to look into the eyes of your child and fill yourself with the wonderment of their unconditional love for you.

Mr. Casten

Dec. 21, 2012

Copyrighted material of Michael C. Casten

Snow?

Our classroom calendar "sticks" to the whiteboard and has velcro on each day of the month in order to put up the actual date.  Each month's dates have a different kind of "shape" to represent it...during the month of December the dates are written on snowflake shapes.  Of course, this is because one would expect snow during the month of December living in a suburb of Chicago.

Not the case this year.  It is December 14th and it has yet to snow.  I haven't seen one flake.  Yet the reminders of winter are all around us.  We even had a reading test last week where one of the stories was titled, "Snowflakes".  Many of the ties I wear around this time of year have snow somewhere on them.  

As we were outside during a recess I had a short discussion with one student about the weather.  The conversation led to a small discussion about global warming.  We talked about pollution and the ozone layer and how it might affect the weather.  All the while the sun beat down on us and it was warm; many kids had their coats off as they played around us.

The conversation ended and lunchtime was rapidly approaching.  A fifth-grade patrol (a former student of mine) came out.  We exchanged "hellos" and the student said that they wished it would "just snow, because without snow it just won't feel very much like Christmas."  I'm sure the Spirit will still be there but I understand completely what the child was saying...

I reach back into my memory and relive all the winters of my youth...each and every one of them were cold and filled with snow---every one of them.  I remember the Blizzard of "79 when I lost my "Tootsie Roll" hat within two minutes during the storm and didn't find it until Spring had melted the huge snowbanks away.  I remember trudging through the wind and snow guided by the streetlights while making my way to the mall to buy some presents for my family.  I remember playing with our dog, building snowmen, and sledding at the local hill.  I remember shoveling the driveway and sliding on the ice under the gutter spout.  I recall throwing snowballs and watching huge icicles fall from roofs and trees only to splatter into a thousand pieces.

These memories fill me with a warmth of yesteryear and call me to help make the same type of memories with my own kids.  I hope that I get the opportunity this year to do so...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. 

Mr. Casten

Dec. 14, 2012

Copyrighted material of Michael C. Casten

The "Write" Stuff

The kids are writing right now.  They are taking their Unit 3 writing test.  As I look up I see a sea of pencils moving back and forth, people adjusting themselves in their chairs.  Some kids are deep in thought only to quickly jot down those thoughts.  I see kids "mouthing" the words they are writing, then turning their pencils over to erase something that doesn't seem right.  Every so often one of them gets up to sharpen a pencil.  Occasionally they will stretch, take a bite of their snack, or a drink of their water bottle.  At times, they will get e fresh piece of paper as they have much to say with this prompt.  

The room is quiet.  The tapping of my computer keys as I write this reflection is one of the only sounds that float across the room.  The sliding of a chair every so often accompanies it.  The familiar sound of pencils scritch-scratching along the paper provides a soothing hum for the room.  Heads are scratched, necks are craned in a stretch, and feet tap to some internal rhythm of the writer.  With some irregularity students will find their way to the shelf that contains the Thesaurus and take one...searching for that "perfect" word.  

I enjoy reading their writing as they have shown themselves to be creative in their approaches.  It's not easy taking an expository prompt and turning it into a piece that is both enjoyable to read as well as informative, yet this group seems to take the challenge and run with it.  

Mr. Casten

Dec. 7, 2012

Copyrighted material of Michael C. Casten