Magic Fingers (and a song): The Startup Phase

Moments from now, my lab will burst to life as twenty 6 year olds enter for their first class with me. It is one of the most tremendous experiences I encounter all year.  That first day with my first graders is… magical.

“This is Mr. Luetjen”, the kindergarten teacher tells her students. The students are in a straight, quiet line with two fingers in the air and another finger covering their mouth.  (A sort of ctrl, alt del real-life reset, a way for the students to take a moment and the Ahh Ha! moment for Mr, Luetjen) “He is the computer teacher”. “You are going to have computers next year.” “That’s so exciting, isn’t it?” Fingers begin moving and smiles peek out from behind the other finger that is giving the signal for quiet.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are five or six years old. Now imagine that you were just told that one of the things that you do at home that is SO AWESOME for you, is going to be a part of your school week next year. Every week you get to go to computers.

I stopped typing at this point last night and turned in for the evening.

I came back to work on this today and at the bottom of the page was the following…

Qv  N                QQ                                                                                                                                                                                    ““““““““““““““““““““““““““““

]\\\\            ~ vc     ]{“  khggmlkln!

1m

My 17 month old had gotten hold of the keyboard.

As I was processing the irony, or coincidence or universal meaning of how her actions related to the title and theme of the article, I decided to post this introduction before I continued with the rest.

She’s up from her nap… Until tomorrow then.