March 30: Storytelling

I mentioned in yesterday's blog entry that my daughter was celebrating her birthday in her school classroom today. As part of that celebration, my wife and I were able to bring the treats into the classroom, help her hand them out, and take them around to various locations within the school - main office, library, and Asst. Principal's office - to share them with the folks in those areas. I was also lucky enough to be able to read a story, of my daughter's choice, to the entire class. While I was very excited for this storytelling opportunity and to see the joy in my daughter's smile, there is also some irony in this situation. See, at one time I wanted to be a Teacher. I think I would have been a good one, too! Anyway, my daughter selected one of her favorites that we read here at home, "The Gruffalo". It focuses on a mouse's encounters with a fox, owl, snake, and, eventually, a big creature called...you guessed it, a Gruffalo. Both she and her brother love the story because I make up voices for each of the characters. Before I dropped her off at school this morning, my daughter made me promise I would do the voices when I read the story to her class. And, I did. I admit, sitting in front of 24 little people whose full attention was solely on me for 15 minutes or so was a bit intimidating; but I got over it once we were a few pages into the book. When we got back home after school, I asked my daughter how I did reading the story; you know, the voices and all. She said I did good...then she smiled her big, beautiful smile.