Guest Post - Amidst a Sea of Costumes

Yesterday was Halloween and, unlike many teachers across America, I did not dress up. Not because I'm a Christian and think that it's wrong to celebrate , but because I'm too lazy and uncreative to do so. One conversation in my class from yesterday:

Student: "Mr. Lin, how come you didn't dress up for Halloween?"

Me: "I AM dressed up. I'm a mean teacher for Halloween. Here's your homework, get it done before you go trick-or-treating."

As such, I thought the best thing to do was have another teacher - one who is both kind AND creative - that DID dress up with her class for Halloween write a post for me. The following is a guest post by teacher extraordinaire Kate B. It's her first of (hopefully) many posts, and I for one am excited to hear the reflections and stories of another teacher. Without further ado...


Amidst a Sea of Costumes

If you asked a teacher the ease of effectively facilitating 25 children on a normal school day, you’d probably get a ranking in the “Manageable” range.

If you asked a teacher the same question but on Halloween… The score would vary from “Slightly effectively” to an off-the-charts score of “Woah!”

All I can say is that I am glad the parents are the ones back in charge of the children after we send them home all sugared up post-Halloween bash. Decorating those cupcakes today was super cute and hilarious. However, I’d go to say that the most interesting may be how it affected them about 30 minutes later.

 Hey everyone, I’m Kate: Fellow teacher; lover of children; restored by sunshine, sports, quality conversation, hugs, sarcasm, and laughter; passionate about making a positive impact for the greater good of the upcoming generations, both as individuals and as a society.

And while nurturing the growth and development of children is one of my first loves, I have to admit I so easily get caught up in the details. Emails, grading, professional development, differentiation, new curriculum, meetings… it’s… a lot.

But yesterday, in the midst of the chaos of a Halloween party with tables of frosting, crayons, “Mystery Boxes”, sound effects, and more… there was a sweet utterance of beauty, innocence, and life.

It was incredibly refreshing to hear the playful banter. To see the colored frosting on the rims of their mouths as they laughed. To watch them romp around in costumes, exuding life and the purest of joy. To be part of the joking, the hugs, the encouragement.

Somehow, I found my focus in the most chaotic of school days…

My eyes reopened, my heart refreshed… kids, in all that they truly are, are why I teach.