A Good Snack

The class today felt really good. Two of the students who are most eager, and the best behaved were present. Both of us teachers were there, and even though we didn't recruit, we were both stuck in traffic and really only had time to set up the materials to be ready for who ever came.

Our routine of singing We Are Drops, and then singing a prayer, O God! Educate These Children went well, and there was a calm focus in our group of four. Tony chimed in after we were finished with a verse we made up after November 4th, when we all knew who our next president of the United States would be... "Barack Obama, is the President; he's the one, for us all. Come and join us in our quest for unity, it's a way of life for you and me."

I decided to introduce another song, since our singing was uplifting and everyone was on task. The song is Be Like the Earth, which is about humility. (Teaching the concept of 'humility' is one of the most challenging. Have you ever described what humility is?) Everyone liked it, and the other teacher had not heard of it before today either.

The lesson focused letting your soul be free, and not being bound by the fetters of this world. Tony had to leave early, but Zai stayed and was able to memorize the quote. That is extra gratifying for me. It's often chaotic, and we make progress, but no child memorizes the quote for the day. Once again Zai asked to copy the words to the songs. (This is really rewarding too.)

As I was driving home, I saw several kids playing at a nearby park. As I drove by slowly, I recognized a student who used to attend regularly, back when he was in elementary school. So I stopped, backed up, and rolled down the window. Ron shouted, "Hi Allison." I asked how he was doing, and he said, "Fine." Then he asked if class was over today... yes.

The very next thing Ron asked was, "What was snack today?" I described what it was - red liquorice and Valentine's candy - knowing that studies show that the snack is the highest rated part of any extra curricular class for kids... over the art, over the games, over the lesson... over everything. I told him that we're still having class on Wednesdays, and to come next week if he could.

As I drove off I had that content feeling. Contentment from doing enough for class today, contentment from having planned a quality lesson, and contentment from having a good snack.
__________________________________________________________________
What was the lesson today?
Enjoying all that God has put on earth... the beauty of nature, tasty food, friendship, love, etc.
and not being a prisoner of these things

Virtue: detachment

"O My servant! Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more."
~ from the Baha'i Writings