Five minutes before the morning bell, Arantxa said, “Jenn, I want to try something.” She put the book and a handwritten letter into an old FedEx envelope, addressed it to the Grade 1 students and left it with the school secretary. When our helpers took the attendance down after the bell, they would be presented with the package.
I never would have imagined their reaction as they came back from the office. “GUYS!!! We got a PACKAGE! And it says it’s from SPAIN!”
Arantxa and I played along, “Who could have sent it?”
“It says it’s from La abuelita de Arantxa! Let’s open it!”
All eyes were glued as Arantxa carefully opened the package and read the letter from her “grandmother”. As I stood back and watched I couldn’t help but realize that for many, school is magical place. The used FedEx envelope, a minute detail in the grand scheme of things, hooked these students. I also couldn’t help but think that this is the joy of team teaching.
Jennifer Gallant (@jennmgall) teaches in a Spanish Bilingual program. She generates more questions than answers and fuels her love for learning through her students.