You all.  I have my GROOOOOOOOOVE back. 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

Seriously, teaching Beckham this week has been an absolutely joy.  And, as you know, it’s kind of an epiphanic moment for a teacher when you have that little kick in your step and are excited to make your way into your classroom.  I’ve even caught myself thinking: My firsties would LOVE this!  Now, I use the term “firsties” in reference to a future class of kiddos I will have in the not-so-near-future (God-willing).  But, it has been noted, the I do see myself returning to the classroom.  Someday-ish.

Anyway!

While Becks completed his spelling work at the kitchen table, I was busy putting the finishing touches on some Mystery Box fun.  I washi-taped the clues around our home school room and instructed him to STAY OUT until he was given further direction.  That, alone, was enough to elicit an exciting start to our day.  He couldn’t wait to see what I was up to.  

First, I presented him with the box and encouraged him to guess what was inside.  He needed no prompting to shake and sniff the box.  Smells like GLUE! he exclaimed, as if he’d uncovered the big mystery.  I explained that he was smelling the glue from the pieces glued to the outside of the box (which is from Target, btw…I’ve also seen them at Hobby Lobby).  Next up, I explained that he would be searching for ‘clues’ around the room and would have to write the clues down and formulate a guess for what was inside the box based on them and his own observations.  

Watching him hunt the room was fun!  He’s such a nut!

After he’d located all four clues, he went to write them on the recording sheet and draw/write his guess.  

The clues were:

1.  It looks like the sun.

2.  It can cut fruit.

3.  It is metal.

4.  You find it in the kitchen.

Immediately, he said KNIFE! but quickly said that a knife wasn’t shaped like the sun.  {My teacher heart was thrilled to listen to him talk through his guesses!}  Since it was his best guess, I told him it was okay to write it down anyway.  

Finally, the moment of reveal…an apple slicer!

It’s funny how something so simple was so interesting and fun to him.  We actually don’t own the slicer (I borrowed it from my mom), and he hadn’t seen or used one before.  The hands-on exploration following was priceless – and a perfect time for another apple snack, too!

{You can find the Mystery Box Activity >>> HERE}

So, that’s it!  Apple Week Day 3 is complete!

I already can’t wait for tomorrow!  Happy Wednesday!

{PS.  For those of you who’ve inquired, I will put my Peek at My Week up on Friday or Saturday from this past week.  Would it surprise you to know that I plan better on the fly?! }