Embrace the Magic

Since I am a reading teacher, I have the pleasure of working with some of the same children for multiple years. Each September the students will start asking when our Elf on the Shelf, Bellzzy, will come back to our class. They will fondly start talking about our elf and his escapades from the previous year.

"Remember when he was digging in the Legos? One day we found him sleeping in the Kleenex box. He had tissues all over the floor. Remember when he sitting on top of the projector? Remember the day he had Post-It notes stuck all over him? One time he was swinging from a string across the room."

I'm amazed how they remember everything about our little visitor who might be in our classroom for about 15 days. (But we can't seem to remember the differences between vowels and consonants.)

To be honest, each year I consider not having Bellzzy return to our classroom. He is a distraction. I feel compelled to use every second I have with students productively. We have to spend the first couple of minutes in each group looking for the Elf each day. I have to make sure the Elf has a new spot each day. In the middle of lessons someone will yell out, "Bellzzy just moved his head. I saw it." It's kind of a pain.

...and then the magic happens. Bellzzy arrives, and I have students who can't wait to get to reading class. They make predictions about where Bellzzy might be today. They'll run into class with excitement and anticipation. I'll see 4th graders tiptoe over to our class elf and whisper secrets. Kindergarteners are called to action to solve Bellzzy's problem when a classmate accidentally touches the elf. They write him notes. They walk over and proudly show Bellzzy the work they have completed.

Bellzzy is hurt. Best friend Bellzzy.

The love my students have for Bellzzy helps me remember the magic of childhood. The holidays can be stressful for adults and kids, but it is also a magical time. That silly little elf helps me remember to embrace the magic of the holidays. I'm reminded that my students are kids, not mini-adults. They see the world through the lens of magic as long as we allow them to. How can I continue to embrace the magic of childhood when the holidays are over? That's my goal as we return back to school in a couple of days.

January, February, March, April, and May need to be just as magical as December.