You know you're doing something right when...

Recently two things happened that made me smile...and know that at least some of the things I'm teaching are sticking...

Yesterday was the day of our school-wide field trip to the zoo.  Students were to bring a backpack with water, snacks, etc.  In the morning before classes started, two of my ESL boys were discussing their snacks, as each had brought quite the assortment.  One of them said "let's be like the early explorers in Canada - I'll be the Aboriginals, and you be the Europeans."  Then, without any further explanation, the two of them bartered their way through a snack trade.

Later, after arriving at the zoo, the first stop with my group was the flamingos.  Since we've been discussing habitats and adaptations in Science, I asked them what adaptations they saw in the flamingos.  All of my students had answers - they were shouting over each other, giving me examples, telling me if it was a structural or behavioural adaptation, and how the adaptation aided in survival.  However, the best part was that throughout the rest of the day they continued to do this, even though I never asked about it again!