Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Calling all wizards, fairies, unicorns, students and other magical creatures

Maybe my next classroom tool should be a wand. 

I was having a great chat with a friend today who is a new mom.  Somehow we started talking about Christmas and the Jolly Elf himself, Santa Claus.  She wasn't sure if that was a tradition that she felt comfortable continuing with her daughter.  Here's the thing: 

  • I'm not a mom
  • This isn't about Christmas or how you celebrate or don't
  • I'm not suggesting we have Christmas in school 

I totally saw where she was coming from.  She wants her child to know that presents are something that are given by people who worked hard for them.  Plus, she doesn't want to lie to her kid.  Here's the thing, though. Isn't the line between imagination and lying pretty darn thin?

It got me thinking.  What's wrong with a little bit of magic?  Can educators do both?  Give the facts but throw in a little magic too?  I would like to think so.  

Later, I got on Twitter (because that is what I do now) and I read that someone was in need of a unicorn for his 4 year old daughter.  It's what she requested for her birthday.  Why not?

Kids SHOULD be encouraged to play, create, fantasize, dream, invent, and expect the impossible.  Life is going to rain down upon them in a fury of decisions, bills, and responsibility.  Let them have this.  Foster the fun of being a kid.  

I say bring back the magic!  It isn't a lie if you hold your fingers crossed behind your back, promise. 

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing. I think play creativity and imagination are important. But children depending on their age should know what things are real and what things are made up.
    In ether case these ideas and concepts should be encouraged
    Thanks for sharing
    Akevy

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  2. When I taught first grade, we wrote letters to Farmer Brown- from Click Clack Moo. And... he wrote back. We used our Assistant Principal's "magic" mailbox to send our letters. Farmer Brown would leave letters taped to our door in the morning, had Duck deliver one to the office (the office staff said they were very surprised to see a delivery duck), and Duck even left a voicemail on my phone. (did you know there's a duck call app?)
    At the end of the week, Farmer Brown himself delivered the final letter. The kids went crazy seeing a fictional character in our classroom. It didn't matter that they knew it was really the hubby of another teacher in the building dressed as a farmer. It was magical for them, and totally worth it for me.
    Here's the link to where I blogged about it: http://generaldelksarmy.blogspot.com/2012/05/dy-167-farmer-brown-came-to-town.html

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  3. Ms. Mayer: I do not understand your comment on Santa Claus v. hard-working. new mom should try making all those toys and delivering them in one night. it's not a cake walk. also? unicorns can be obtained by magical entreaty, but it usually requires an oath and a magical fenced yard, preferably round. here is a place to look at the famous unicorn tapestries, which might help your friend's daughter. :)
    http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/467642
    as to new mom? if your friend wants to rear her little bundle of joy in a world with no magic, or as I like to call them "leaps of faith", then she should. but, bet you dollars to donuts if she does, that little person will be the biggest disney princess of ALL TIME.

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  4. I love this post!

    I too saw that tweet from Alec yesterday... here is to hoping they found what they are looking for:)

    I'm with you... bring back the magic, the carefree thinking & imagining that is lacking in our schools. I love a good day dream, game of dress up, or just using your plain old imagination. It is days like these... filled with summer fun that we all got together as kids & played. We created stores for friends to come & shop at, white water rafting in our small backyard pools with dish soap bubbles, & enjoyed carefree days thinking only of our next adventures.

    This year, for the first time in my 20 plus career as a teacher I was caught off guard... a little lad in my class, challenged by me to use his imagination & dream up SOMETHING BIG just couldn't. He kept saying... "I don't know." It was devastating to me, to think that somehow or someone had robbed him of his greatest gift & asset... his imagination.

    I am SO in... I will meet you @ Platform 9 & 3/4 after we go get our wands... it's time to get this party started:)

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