Yesterday when I took my two year old grandson to the park I was reminded vividly why I became a teacher 37 years ago . Landon decided on this day, that his old friend the baby slide was not going to do it for him ANY MORE. Something spoke to him and he decided that he just HAD to go down the BIG KID TWIRLY slide ( you know the one that twists and turns like a water park slide?). Wanting something and making it happen are two entirely different things . Landon looked at the monumental climb into the SKY with all those rungs that needed to surmounted to even GET TO the slide. I saw his little wheels turning as he considered whether it was worth it or if he would just go back to his old friend the baby slide. Evidentially, on this day, for whatever reason it was. Worth it I mean . Step by step, rung by rung with help from nana he made it to the top. Then he realized how lonely it is at the top and wanted company. This is when he instructed ME how to climb the ladder so I could join him in the exhilaration of the slide (or have a partner in panic). So I did. Which was probably as great a challenge to this near-sixty-year- old as it was for him ... But I made it to the top of the stairs ALL BY MYSELF and when I did he clapped for ME. After taking a moment to appreciate our efforts, we spent some time problem-solving how to get DOWN . We could go back down the ladder. But that seemed weird. And hard . And not very fun. But we COULD go DOWN THE BIG KID TWIRLY SLIDE. Like we REALLY WANT TO. We came to a kind of generational consensus. Inching our way into the starting place and holding tight onto each other, slowly, very slowly at first we descended THAT INCREDIBLE SLIDE! It took SIX DAYS. - not really but kinda. Then we did it again and went faster ! And again and faster ! Six times! Ten times! Each time we hit the bottom of that ENORMOUS MOUNTAIN we celebrated our success with a resounding YIPPEE! and toddler version of knuckles. About the twelfth time either it was an affirmation of his own confidence or he was astute enough to sense my exhaustion... he looked me, patted my hand and said sweetly MINE. Or, in toddler terms- I got this nana, take a break. I watched him nervously. He climbed up. He paused at the top turning to salute me, solidifying his resolve to his cross one thing off his baby bucket list. He crouched into the cockpit . And then he was GONE. Oh god. HEs GONE And then he was THERE! At THE BOTTOM! In ONE PIECE! I JUMPED to my feet in CHEERS! We did a nana- Landon celebration dance! We did high fives! We laughed! We tackled! We tickled! WHOO HOO !!! YEAH BABEEE!! YOU DID IT!! I think we both had a swagger leaving that park- SLIDES? No sweat. Jungle gyms? Climbing walls? BRING IT baby! It is the love of learning, the adventure of new challenges, of over-coming fear, and the pride of accomplishment that brought me to this profession of teaching. It is what I wish for for each of my students and hope that they will discover within themselves, Leave it to a two year old to remind me why I AM A TEACHER.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 20:57:00 +0000
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