Gavin's writing

At dinner tonight, I asked Gavin what was his 'good thing' for the day.  Without hesitation, a smile widened upon his face and he said, "My writing at school...I love it!".  I was so happy to hear him say this.  Earlier that afternoon, he didn't even let my put the car in reverse to leave his school parking lot before I looked at the writing he did today.  He beamed with pride as he said, "I used 'because' and I spelled all the words myself.  Mrs. Irwin liked it so much that she said I could have a sticker!" (sidebar: don't you wish that life were so simple that you were excited by things like stickers?!?!)

Seeing Gavin experience such pride in something that he worked hard on made my ;teacher heart' skip a beat.  The intrinsic motivation he shows toward his school work is an inspiration and adorable quality.  My 'mommy heart' smiled as he began explaining the minute-by-minute, pencil line-by-pencil line desciption of the events that took place before, during, and after he wrote.  He explained it as if I weren't a teacher and he wanted to ensure I understood each step.  Truly precious as his innocence was brimming over the edges of the pot.

We are so grateful for Gavin's teacher, who has inspired his love of learning to blossom even further.  I believe that truly outstanding teachers are those who can inspire others without a sense of intrinsic motivation, and turn them around to taking pride in their work.  Thankfully, Gavin did not lack in the motivation department entering into kindergarten, but I recognize and appreciate the hard work that his teacher does on a daily basis to ensure he is receiving the best education he possibly can.  For a boy who entered into kindergarten loving the concept of learning, it's almost unreal to see how that love has double and even tripled.  When I ask him how his day is, and the first words out of his mouth are related to a classroom activity, rather than lunch/recess/specials/etc., I know he's in the presence of a great teacher who knows what is best for his educational progress. 

Tonight, I thank Mrs. Irwin for the gift of pride that she gave Gavin today at school.  I didn't get to see a lot of my kids today because of my own obligations at work, but she played a big part in making what little time I did share with them even more precious.

Proud of his story :)