Zoo

I had a fantastic day.

Second grade went to the zoo.

It is amazing how much I love my students when they are not misbehaving as a result of me trying to force them to do what they do not want to do.

I was responsible for a group of four girls...two with special needs, one with a particular flair for temper tantrum drama and one who is a bit of a bully, but also, ironically, kind of a people pleaser. We started off with the elephants and giraffes, and then went slowly through the monkey house, trying to avoid the Head Start kids who kept catching up with us. They were observant, asked excellent questions of the zoo staff, and were mindful of a group of elderly women, one of whom was in a wheelchair, near the orangutan exhibit.

It was really hot and humid today and my girls started to get cranky long before our scheduled lunch. Now, if we were in school, we would have been forced to Power Through until the scheduled lunch. S would have gotten a stick in her pocket. But on field trip days, we are free! We ate lunch at 11:30 and all crankiness immediately dissolved, especially when I allowed them all to get soaking wet in the mister after they ate.

The highlight of the trip for me was the baby beaverswho, incidentally, were born on my birthday. The mother and father beavers carry the around in their mouths and it is the cutest thing. I even saw the mother beaver drag some logs around to create a playpen of sorts, for her mischievous offspring, who kept jumping into the water and trying to swim.