An Unexpected Bright Spot

Today, I went to a local elementary school and read a book to a class of second graders. This was not something I was looking forward to. I signed on only because I know that the college wants us all to be working on outreach stuff for area schools. And, in part, I felt pressured to participate. Just because I have an academic interest in children's literature and childhood culture, people seem to assume that I'm interested in children and that I'm good at working with them. In general, that's not the case. I mean, I like any particular child well enough if he or she is polite and pleasant to be around, but I'm not a "kid person." ("Kid," I'd like to point out, refers to a baby goat.)

Anyhow, I had planned to go and chat with the children and read them Little Bear, which I'm interested in right now because it's illustrated by Maurice Sendak. But the children were delightful! They were so well behaved and attentive. I was very impressed, and I even ended up enjoying myself. I guess I should have had a better attitude about it from the outset. They seemed engaged and interested as I shared the book with them, and they were all eager to tell me about themselves. They invited me to some sort of skit they are doing tomorrow, something about the planets. Afterwards, several of them asked if they could give me hugs.

It was such a good experience that I even told the teacher I'd be happy to come back another time and read with them.