"Smells Like Burning Army Men"

A Learning Blog by Mr. Coleman: With Sporadic Posts on Education, Creativity, Parenting, and Related Intersections/Digressions.

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Sunday, March 10, 2013

On having a joyous, entertaining classroom

"We have never had a day where we did not laugh" - Grayson, 9-12-2012

Posted by Tim Coleman at 7:14 PM

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Labels: Joy, Kid Quotes

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What is "Smells Like Burning Army Men?"

My second year of teaching, walking my 4th grade class to recess. As we passed the production room, one of my students mumbled to himself, "Mmmmm, smells like burning army men...." I took a deep breath and found the distinct odor of melting plastic; the smell of the laminating machine being used by the school aide. It provided a telling window into the student's imagination, boundless associative ability, and adventures generally unknown to many adults (i.e melting action figures, something I too had done as a child). I respect the child world, cultivate it, and have seen hundreds of children tap into it for an enriched, unique, and productive life experience. This blog is to support those students, but especially their parents, who provide intensive socialization, creative playtime, and intellectual stimulation.

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Tim Coleman

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