May 6, 2011
by Darlene Daley
A former student of mine paid me a visit the other day and reminded me that of all the roles we play in our students' lives, magician is one of the most important. His impromptu visit had me reflecting not only on the years I taught him, but about my husband as well.
My husband, a kindergarten teacher, has a summer job as a local town's recreation director. He has a slogan that he shares (and embodies) with his staff of local teens. He tells them everyday at the end of their morning meeting to, "Go make magic people!" His "Let's Make Some Magic" slogan is famous in his camp. He begins each summer's staff training with the same speech; sharing with his counselors that they have a real opportunity to make magic happen each day. He explains that no one knows what has happened in the campers' lives before they reach camp, but while the campers are there each counselor has the opportunity to create something special for them. Each counselor can create a fun, safe, creative atmosphere for his or her campers and notice and share with each camper what makes them unique.
This brings me back to my former student. He explained to me that he was off at college studying to be a writer. I was taken by surprise by this fact, because although he was a good student writing was never something that he enjoyed. Curious, I asked him why he chose this path. He asked me, "Do you remember when we read A Dog Called Kitty, written by Bill Wallace?" This made me smile. This was a memory I would never forget. It was in his third grade year that I discovered this book and used it for his small group. I was reading aloud the last few chapters on the carpet for the group, because I wanted them to feel the power of the words. As I read the chapters aloud to this group we all broke down in tears. With tears streaming down my face I finished the book and looked up. The other students in the room were watching us wipe away our tears; they had been listening to the story too. My former student went on to share it was this moment that showed him how words can move people and that this is what he wanted to do with his life. He said, "It was like magic, the words and the way you read them allowed us to experience everything that was happening."
After congratulating him on his hard work and reminding him not to forget his former teacher we said our goodbyes. This chance encounter reminded me though, that we all serve as magicians every day. We don't always know the effects our actions and words have on our students, or what moment might spark inspiration for them, but we do make magic happen every day. Each time we notice a new outfit or encourage a child's progress we make magic. Each time we bring out the paint, the microscopes, or our favorite read aloud we make magic. For some of our students we have to dig down deep into our bag of tricks to make the magic happen, but we can do it. As the school year winds down, continue to dust off your wand and keep the white rabbit handy as we work together everyday to make magic happen for our students.