Reason #342 to become a first grade teacher

Have you ever heard of the dik dik? As of last week, neither had I!

But thanks to Indigo, our first grade dik dik expert, I have now!

We are currently studying Africa. Everyone knows about Africa's most famous: the lion, giraffe, the elephant... But last week, Indigo told me that she had learned about the dik dik.

"The what?" I asked her.

"The dik dik! It lives in Africa," she told me.

"Hmm..." I was still puzzled (but interested!) so I looked it up and found that the dik dik did, in fact, exist.

Indigo had recently visited the San Francisco Science Academy Museum, and she couldn't wait to tell me about it when she returned. (I actually got an email from Indigo and her mom the weekend they visited.)

I suggested that Indigo write a blog post for the class to read, but instead, the next morning she marched up to me ready, "I want to teach the class about the dik dik, Miss Kloczko."

"Today?" I asked her.

"Yes, I have some notes in my backpack... external features, diet, habitat, all that. My dad helped me. Can I do a poster like you do?" This girl knows the way to my heart, I'm telling you.

Because Friday was a minimum day with not much time to spare, I told her that on Monday, she could teach the class. She could show me her notes at recess Monday morning, we'd do a little planning together, and after recess before writer's workshop, she would be in charge.

Giggling with excitement, Indigo shared her notes with me, and with the help of Allyson, she traced a picture of the dik dik onto a big piece of chart paper using the projector. "This is how you draw the pictures?!" they asked me. My secret is out...

I'm still smiling. This is why I became a teacher. ♥