What Matters Most

So, this week we have been working on poetry in my class. In order to generate some topic ideas we did an activity I call "What Matters Most". (Of course this idea is stolen from someone else so I can't take credit, but we did adapt it to what we wanted. That makes it ours right?) In this activity we draw a body, like a paper doll, onto a piece of paper. Then we write all the things that are important to us inside and around this body. For example on my paper person, piano lessons and practicing (or the lack there of) was placed near the hands; red rover/kick the can/ghost in the graveyard was placed by the feet; my family was placed near my heart (ahhh!).

We were all adding things to our lists when one of my students raised his hand. The conversation went like this...

Me: Yes Wyatt?

Wyatt: I know something that you need to put near your heart. (He said this kind of quietly which is unusual for him so I thought something might be up.)

Me: Oh yeah? What? (I was thinking he might say something like, "ME because you love me so much"- totally something he would tease about and say.)

Wyatt: Church (said in a kind of hushed tone)

Ouch! Called out by a 6th grader! I immediately remedied this situation. Church was placed right above my family next to my heart.

Sometimes I get so caught up in the different roles I play in life (the whole separation between church and state and all). I forget that more often than not it is OK for these roles to overlap.

Thanks, Wyatt, for reminding me of what is really important!