Being Content to Wait
This fall during my Social Unit we have been learning about different character traits and attributes and what it means to be a citizen in a community. So far we have been learning about friendship, honesty, kindness and being a good listener. This week's lesson has been about patience and I have been teaching the kids that patience is: "Being content to wait."
As part of our project we have been making little illustrated squares which we will put together to make a community quilt. Each square demonstrates something about the character trait of the week.
One of my students (who is learning English as his third language) finished his square and brought it to me, and I asked him to explain his picture.
Our little dialogue went something like this:
Me: "Tell me about your picture"
Student: Pointing to the person in the picture he proudly states "This is you!"
Me: "Wow very nice"
Student: "You are pretty"
Me: "Why, thank you, and who is this?" I say pointing to the stick man in the picture.
Student: "A man!" He says with great enthusiasm.
It was all I could do at this point to not burst out laughing to ask who was the man.
*Now the story doesn't stop here, however when I retold this encounter to some of my co-workers, at this point of the story their initial response was like mine as they broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter. When they regained composure they acknowledged my student's keen sense of perception. What a insightful boy, indeed Miss Robinson must be waiting for a man.*
It turned out that the man was my dad and I was waiting for him to come visit. My parents had come to visit last year and my students were asking if they would come again and I said probably not, but we will have to wait and see. Funny what our students remember and their perspective on things.
