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Spark of Youth


     Next week is the last week of school for 2013.  Winter Break begins promptly at 3:00 on Friday, Dec. 21st.

     The room this week was buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming break.  Holiday spirits were filling the room--as the kids seemed to be smiling more brightly, dancing more frequently, and singing in Music class with a bit more enthusiasm and added charm.


     With the snow falling alongside the temperature Room 202 quickly became our safe haven from the elements.  Indoor recess, heat blowing through the vents, and holiday music playing in the background as we continued with the all important tasks of learning and teaching. 


    Pictures began filling my desk...each one different yet carrying the same basic message...a message of holiday greetings.  The drawings filled with greens and reds, pictures of Santa’s and elves, presents and snowflakes as the season of giving is now underway.


      Being a teacher at this time of year always makes me feel more like a kid at heart than any other time of the year.  Being surrounded by children and their innocent belief, undying faith, and infectious celebratory nature brings a spark of youth to me heart.  I find myself reliving several feelings I had as a nine or ten year-old; feelings that may have long been lost in time if not for the profession I chose.
    

     I recall the first time I had some chore money saved up to actually go out buy presents.  The evening was cold as I stepped out of my house and the snow was blowing.  My cheeks and nose quickly became ice and the streetlights were illuminated...surrounded by the falling snow.  I had to walk with my head down to avoid the wind the best I could and shuffle my feet through the thick un-shoveled snow.  All the while I kept hold of the ideas I had for the presents I would buy.  All the while I knew that Santa would deliver on his promises as well. 

     
     "Had I been good this year?" I remember asking myself.  The walk to the mall was only 6 blocks but in the increasing storm it took me well over 30 minutes.  In that time I found myself reflecting, maybe for the first time in my life, on the past year.

     
     It had been a hard year for my family.  Circumstances surrounding it actually changed our lives forever.  In that year I saw much of what life can be, both positive and negative.  I reached back through the months and revisited my role in the family; my relationships and my decisions.

     
     By the time I came to a verdict about my behavior I was at the mall.  The spirit of the holiday filled me.  With great enthusiasm, a skip in my step, and a bright smile on my face I traversed through the stores, finding just what I wanted for each person.  The spirit of giving filled me for the first time in my life.  

     
     I see this spirit in the children I work with.  It's wonderful to behold.  It's miraculous to witness year after year the enthusiasm, the dancing, and the bright smiles I get to see everyday.

     

Mr. Casten
Dec. 21, 2013

Copyrighted material of Michael C. Casten

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