And They SAVE LIVES Too

“There’s a ghost in our classroom,” Ian informed me as I slid into the seat right next to him.

“Really?” I asked, looking around his kindergarten classroom for clues. “How do you know?”

And that was when the power went out.

“Well, there’s some proof,” he suggested drily. “And the bathroom door keeps opening and closing.”

“It’s really windy out,” I said.

“We’ve got a ghost,” Ian said plainly, tiring of my antics.

And that was when the first tree fell, in the wooded lot right next to the parking lot.

“Or maybe it’s just really windy,” he pondered.

Principal Marianne Curie-Hall was in the doorway moments later, walkie-talkie in hand and a calming smile on her face.

“Boys and girls, the wind has knocked our power out,” she told us. “So I need to share some important reminders with you. Please take care to watch where you are going when you are in the halls today, because they aren’t as well-lit as they usually are….”

“We could TRIP!” Someone shouted.

“Or bump into someone!” Someone echoed.

“Yes, these things could happen if you aren’t careful. And I need to talk with you about lunch. Our kitchen is without power too, so if you were planning on having baked potatoes–”

“POTATOES! I LOVE THOSE POTATOES!”

“Yes, well-if you were planning to have them, you are going to be offered another selection. I’m not sure what that will–”

“Can we have bagels?”

“I LOVE BAGELS!”

“Bagels are a breakfast food.”

“No they are not. My mom says I can eat bagels anytime!”

“Yes, well–I am sure that everyone in the cafeteria will help you make a good choice. Please be very careful walking to and from the cafeteria though.”

“We will Mrs. Hall!” They chorused.

And then we went back to learning.

Next week, I’ll be blogging about what brings me to kindergarten at Roy B. Kelley Elementary School. The short story is that I am co-designing and co-teaching an integrated writing unit.

Today, I did something more important though. Because do you know what happens when the power goes out? The incubator….which is the temporary home to the yet unborn chicks that are the soon-to-be protagonists of our future science tales……stops keeping them warm. And do you know what happens when unborn chicks get chilly?

“THE EGGS! THEY WILL GET COLD! THE CHICKS WILL DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

Mass. Chaos. Ensues.

Enter Angela Stockman, tech-savvy instructional coach with yet another LIVE SAVING INTERVENTION.

I’m thinking I really do need a cape.

“What if you turned your laptops and iPads on and put them around the incubators to keep them warm?” I suggested.

I know, I know. I should have let the kids solve this problem on their own, but time was tight and the stakes were so high.

So that’s right: I saved 24 lives with the help of a couple of iPads and laptops today.

Now, about that cape…..