holiday attitude

I have the holiday attitude.  "Let's have fun!"  Two days of school this week, with one already used up.  Yipee!  These two days I'm having my students write using:

Alpha SmartComputers, http://www.portabletechnology.co.uk/erol.html#262X0 

The children absolutely love them.  They're really word processers which I scan into my computer via infra red technology and then I print out their papers.  Of course I have to spellcheck and grammar check, but they know we're relaxed and writing.

Tomorrow I'll take 5 students to 94.3 Mix Radio station in Lake City so their essays can be read over the radio during the month of December.  Even though my fourth grader had a fantastic "Mud Monster" story written in October, I chose her "Thanksgiving" essay as the winner.   Mud monsters aired in December?  I don't think so.

I ran into a crisis this year.  The best essay/story written by the fourth graders was written by a young lady, the same winner from last year.  "What do I do?   Do I share the wealth or choose the best essay?"  I asked several teachers and explained my dilemma.  Regardless of what they said, which flip-flopped, I decided that the best essay/story would be the winner.  Therefore, the 3rd grade winner is going to the radio station again this year as a fourth grader.

My rationale was easy.  If it had been Merry Jennifer or Clay, I would have been disappointed had a teacher chosen an inferior paper because the student had won the year before.  Also, even though I profess to being a Democrat and sharing the wealth; then I thought,  "Oh no.  My child earned this award."  Am I really a republican?  So being an elementary teacher, I certainly didn't want to think heavily about politics this early, so excellence won out.

You tell me.  Am I Republican or Democrat?

Comments

[Nancy]

Neither. You're just a good teacher!

[Merry Jennifer]

I agree - a good teacher!

[tina]

I'd say an independent thinking good teacher!