Last Week was Literary Fair Week.  Each day of this week we have a "fun" activity pertaining to reading and literature. Monday was 30 minutes of free reading and Tuesday was essay writing and the bulletin board contest (the kids design a bulletin board that fits the theme of the Literary Fair.)  Wednesday we had a guest speaker from a local paper, Thursday was the dreaded spelling bee and the coup d'etat was the presentation of our skits. Each grade level puts on individual skits on Friday. Every year I have the best presentation.  At least that's what I've been told.  This is probably because I'm the director from H-E- double hockey sticks. My kids always memorize their lines (some of the other classes use their scripts) and we always end up having a good time. 

This year however, I was worried that I would have the worst play. First of all, the kids weren't sure what we were going to do for their play until a week before the presentation.  This was my fault because I was lazy and overwhelmed by too many activities at work and at home.  I usually write an original skit for the kids, but this year I was being lazy and decided to write an adaptation of Tom Sawyer's famous escapade with whitewashing the fence. The rehearsals were a disaster.  After rehearsing in front of a collegue's class, I looked harried and frazzled. My coworker leans over to me and says, "Don't worry, you're doing great. It's not your fault. Even Spielberg couldn't direct them!" 

I kept telling myself over and over that it was supposed to be fun. I couldn't believe that my kids would have to resort to reading their scripts! The day before the play, rehearsal was awful as usual, but the kids had actually remembered their lines. Now it was the stage directions that were giving them problems.  The kids couldn't exit and enter correctly to save their lives.  I felt the shadow of doom come upon me and engulf me in it's icy arms. On the day of the play, the kids ran into the room Friday morning in sheer panic.  Huckleberry Finn was sick or as the kids said, "faking sick" and wouldn't be in the play. I calmed the kids down and asked a former student of mine, who had watched our rehearsal a couple of time to fill in for Huck Finn.  He was delighted to be in, yet another presentation (he's a big ham) and jumped at the chance. I told him that he could use the script if he needed it, but he waved me off and said, "Nah, I got it Mrs. Lavalais". To my surprise, he had memorized Huck Finn's lines within a few minutes.  When it was our time to present our play, the kids NAILED IT! They were so good, I couldn't believe it.  My coworker who made the Spielberg comment earlier patted me on the back and said "You did it again!"  The student who filled in as Huckleberry Finn was better than the kid who didn't show up. I laughed at the three or four students who discovered the acting bug. You can always tell who they are. They are the students who are addicted to applause.  They are the ones who ask the others "Oh my God! Did you hear that?" or says "I wish we could do it again!" I was happy for my little hellions. We even won second place in the bulletin board contest. Room 11 ROCKS!