So, here is how a mountain is formed.
The first basic thing you have to understand is that the earth’s crust is made up of gigantic plates. These plates will create a fault line wherever they meet another plate. When these fault lines start pressing against each other, then they will push the land upwards in one way or another. When this land reaches up into the sky, you have a mountain.
Twenty-six fifth graders modeling convergent, divergent, and transform faults with icing, cookies, and graham crackers made my heart sing. Of course, there were the few who dipped their entire hands in the icing and showed me with looks of pride and glory. I only had to remind those children that the last time I checked, I didn’t teach kindergarten. I was rejoicing in the fact that the sugar comas would happen after they all went home.
My Earth science lesson vaulted me into literary metaphors and educational symbolism.
It is truly amazing how a mountain is formed. I have seen mountains my entire life, but I never wondered how they were created until I began teaching 5th grade. We can consider the fact that we don’t witness the mountains being created as we never know the exact moment that learning occurs.
We use a variety of idioms and adages with the word “mountain”.
- A mountain to climb
- If Mohammed will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.
- Make a mountain out of a molehill
- Move mountains
- Seventy-two children are cast in three separate productions.
- The three productions had successful first reads.
- My friend Daniel did not go screaming from the elementary school, after I discussed that the “slanty‘ words are italics.
- Daniel still stuck around while I mimed, slanty, with my hands-multiple times.
- Twenty-six children are prepared for the writing test on Wednesday.
- Eighteen children know that there are two cups in a pint.
- Those eighteen children are now pronouncing pint with a long i so that it doesn’t rhyme with “mint”.
- The same eighteen children learned about capacity with measuring cups and food coloring. (I have never been so happy to have a sink in my classroom).
- A student left a note on my desk, “You are the best math teacher, ever.”
- I created a boy/girl line-up system that simultaneously quiets the line and disgruntles the kids.
- I made it to specials on time-every day.
- I made it to work on time-every day.
- I had lunch count in by 8:30 every day.
- I successfully explained why it is necessary to wear shoes, at recess, while playing football.
- I also explained that shoes don’t randomly fall off of ones feet.
- I finally got the idea across that, gravity works all of the time. Therefore, catapulting out of the desk will ALWAYS result in a booming racket that diverts everyone’s attention.
- They all understood the theme to Pandora’s Box.
Although we have many mountains to climb, there Ain’t no Mountain High Enough to prevent Mohammed from coming to the mountain.
On another note, Drama Club updates are coming. Aladdin, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Cinderella (The World’s Favorite Fairy Tale) are off to a great start.
Cheers to the weekend
K
Dry-Erase Me 
“We also have to read the slanty words.”
“Slanty words?”
“Yes, the words in italics.”
“Oh, you mean the slanty ones.”
The look on your face was priceless.
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This is really good. I mean really really good.
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