Hail the Queen!

Drumroll, please! This year I've been asking first and second graders to write for me. Any topic they choose is fine since I just want them to practice their writing skills. They can write fiction, non-fiction, poems, advice for little kids, wishes for the world, what they're learning about, tidbits about themselves, or whatever strikes their fancy at the moment, and this assignment is purely optional. At the beginning of each lesson, I give a writing report, letting each class know how many points for writing their class and each individual writer have earned. Some classes have bought into participating more than others, and if a child never chooses to write a single thing, that's fine. I don't want to pressure the children, just encourage them to write. Several first and second grade classes are on fire, writing their little hearts out, and there's a friendly competition about classroom points. Right now, the first grade classes are a little bit ahead of the second grades.

There's a quiet, sweet, well-behaved first grade girl who has pleasantly surprised me this year with her many, many writings, as well as her skill and ability to write details about just about anything. I never would have guessed that this shy little child has such motivation, talent, and initiative, but I'm glad to know it now! Her classmates and I call her "The Queen" because she continues to turn in so many papers. One day this week, I reported to her class what their results were. Since this class is gaining on the school champions and about to catch them, I saw many wide eyes and expressions of anticipation as I gave the report. Now to the drumroll I mentioned earlier. "The Queen" is at the bottom of the class list, so when I got down to her name and the children knew I was about to announce her points, all forty-something children in the room spontaneously started beating their hands in a rhythmic beat as they excitedly waited her results. When I said the number of her points, applause erupted, while "The Queen" blushed and covered her pretty fair-skinned face with her hands in happy embarrassment. Young children can just be so encouraging and supportive of their friends, and not very often are they jealous and back-stabbing, as we adults can be. Here's just one more lesson to be learned from their kind little souls!