Never Ever Dull
With every conversation, I always seem to end with "Never a dull moment"....our lives are rich, complex, and beautiful stories. Join me in laughing about everyday things and appreciating life-bumpy roads and all.
It was Thursday in Room 3126. You could feel the excitement. My students entered wearing their Sunday best. Boys had on their button downs, some brought along a suit coat, one even wore his tuxedo from two weddings he had been in recently. The girls wore matching outfits and came in beaming with smiles. This was not a normal day for these kids. They were about to be in front of the "sharks". You see, I got kind of bored teaching the economics unit outlined in our Common Core curriculum. I checked off the boxes of what I needed to cover and I had some time left before the quarter ended. I really wanted the kids to think. I desired to make it more applicable than just regurgitating words on a page. I asked a simple question: Do you have an idea of a product you could sell? They pounced on the idea. They begged to partner up with their business connections (buddies in room 3126) and come up with an idea to "sell". I was good with that and asked if they had ever heard of "Shark Tank". I found a YouTube video showcasing young entrepreneurs. Then, I mentioned kind of under my breath, "Wouldn't it be fun to go on that show "Shark Tank"?" One student mentioned that we could do our own "Shark Tank" and it spread like wildfire. My class decided to send invites to school administrators and others to be "sharks" and they set a date. It mushroomed. By Thursday, Room 3126 was filled with adults, nervous children, and one furry rodent (one child had created a guinea pig mansion to sell and needed "Mango" to demonstrate how wonderful his product was!). Some of my favorites from our Shark Tank experience:: * The "company" that created a Robo-Addick. This is for people who have a problem with smoking or drinking. When they feel the urge for a cigarette or a drink, they push a button and out pops something healthy...like broccoli! * The Meal Processor. Don't feel like cooking? Just tell this machine what you want to eat and it just shoots it out...on a plate...no stains! * The Tool 3000.. All your tools put together into one tool. The Sharks asked why the student invented this product. His response: "My dad uses tools all day for his work. It causes him stress when he can't find a tool. This will help him." Precious and thoughtful. * The Eraser Ear Rings. Did you know you can make ear rings our of those erasers that can be placed on top of pencils? The girls who produced this item brought the sharks samples to try.. I so appreciate the principal for wearing a neon pink eraser ear ring. He was the toughest shark but was kind to wear it. {Now, I know why all my erasers are missing!). It sounds like it was a breeze, right?! However,when all the adults entered the room, my students got the jitters. One had to exit the room twice feeling the urge that he might throw up. The Sharks fired questions at my little owners of fictitious companies. Often, my students got stumped, but they would pause and then respond the very best that they could. Every student walked away with a bit more green in their pockets and that made them smile. The money was important but at the end of the day, the students were proud that someone acknowledged that they had a great idea and that no matter how big the challenge, sometimes you just have to go for it. It turned out to be a great economics lesson but an even better life lesson. *
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AuthorFun-loving mom to 4 kids and 1 big puppy. Fifth grade teacher of amazing little people who have never ending things to share with me. Love to discuss Jesus, diy projects, and life. Trying to keep it simple: Love Jesus, love people. Archives
December 2021
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