Count Up!

Today~ I pulled out a super soaker squirt gun and blasted my students in the middle of class. Oh yes~ I calmly removed it from a bin where I had been hiding it and let loose. They screamed~ they jumped~ and yelled "What's going on?"

After the smoke cleared and the children settled down~ I simply said:

"What you have just experienced is an act of terrorism."

I then led into my lesson on terrorism and how it is unexpected~ shocking and violent. Later~ the class watched a video on Al Qaeda~ and after studying their tatics~ engaged in a simulation we call the World Game. During the game~ students working in teamscame upwith creative solutions for dealing with an array of terrorist attacks~ including cutting off finances~ tapping into communications and invading possible camps. It was a thing of beauty.

The reason I am sharing this is because I think it reflects a movement of what some of the teachers at my school call "Counting Up." Instead of counting downthe days until the school year is over~these educators have chosen to count up the days until the new school year~ and in the process~ have kept their motivation and standards high.

It means teaching to the last day~ to the last minute~ realizing that the school year is short~ and there islittle time to make a difference.

I hope I have inspired you to count up during the remaining days of school. For more ways to make the final days meaningful~ please join an ongoingdiscussion at the Innovative Teaching group at http://community.educationworld.comcontent/final-days?gid=NTEyMQ==

Have a blessed day~

Steve