Day 133, Tuesday, April 22

I had two excellent classes with the 8th grade students today. I seemed to be able to relax and allow the lesson to work itself out in a natural and comfortable way, and the students seemed equally relaxed. Learning happened as it should happen, with peace and pleasure.

One thing I noticed, in the midst of our activities, was how effective it was to set the timer for our literary discussion. One of the students suggested that we do it, and it worked beautifully. I set the time for ten minutes, and asked the students to do their best at listening and discussing until the timer rang. Somehow that gave the students a greater sense of the importance of the discussion, as though they were under pressure to do something really special and beautiful in ten minutes. Their faces were intent and poised as the discussion proceeded, and many wonderful comments were made. When the timer rang, there were smiles of satisfaction on many faces, including mine.