This may come a slight shock to some, but I don't necessarily enjoy being the center of attention. In fact, while I very much enjoy being around people, I'd rather be part of a group rather than have everyone looking at me. I enjoy the idea of knowing that everyone is on the same playing field rather than it being a situation where there's utter silence outside of the sound of my voice. That being said, there are certain times where, despite my trepidation, me being the only one talking can be both a fun and rewarding experience.
One of these experiences happened on Friday as I wandered into Ellie's classroom to serve as the guest reader of the week. While one wouldn't think that would be an intimidating scenario, for some reason I was slightly nervous. For one thing, I knew there would be twenty pairs of little eyes and ears hanging on my every word. Therefore, I didn't want to mess up or get tongue-tied for fear of it being awkward. I also wasn't sure how I should go about reading a book to kids. Should I read it strait-laced, or should I do voices? Honestly, I probably put WAY too much thought into a relatively simple exercise which isn't necessarily a good thing.
As for the book I would be reading, I let Ellie help me decide what it would be. Her book of choice? Enzo Races in the Rain! It's actually a really fun kids' version of an adult book named The Art of Racing in the Rain although the kids' version is much less sad.
Upon arriving at the school, I was directed to head to Mrs. Hendern's room where I would wait for the class to return from the library. This was a good thing for me as it gave me a chance to get acquainted with my surroundings and try to diminish my nerves before the kids came in. Before I knew it, the kids started wandering into the classroom. It was funny because one of Ellie's friends that lives in our neighborhood, Nathaly, came into the classroom first and immediately ran up to me and started excitedly chattering before running back to the classroom door and yelling out into the hall to Ellie that her dad was here.
Once the kids came in and got settled, it was time for me to start reading. Sitting in a big chair at the front of the classroom, I took a deep breath and dove right in. For the record, I had decided to do voices which was well-received by the class, as well as Mrs. Hendren. The class was engrossed in the saga of Enzo and when it finally ended, one kid actually expressed sadness that it was over. After I finished reading, the kids got the opportunity to ask me questions about myself although if I'm being honest, they mostly just wanted to ask about Ellie. That's ok though.
 |
| Don't ask me why Ellie was sitting about as far away from me as she could get |
When the time came for me to leave, Mrs. Hendren thanked me very nicely for coming to read to the class and told me how much she enjoys it when parents do voices for the different characters. She also excitedly shared with me how she wanted to get Enzo for her classroom. She was also extremely happy to learn that there was actually a series of four books about Enzo.
Not too bad of an experience if I do say so considering how nervous I was heading into it.
#DaddyWrite
No comments:
Post a Comment