Spelling bee

I was one of the judges for the spelling bee today...what a job! All of the kids in the bee were keyed up and excited. I loved sitting and looking up at their faces. They literally shone.

And the bee was quick, over in 6 rounds. The winner was one of my students and, bless his heart, he was thrilled. He jumped up in the air as all the kids in the audience burst into applause. He beamed, he smiled, he jumped up and down some more. When told that his prize was an online encyclopedia subscription for a year, he wiggled with joy. Honest he did.

I'm not much for academic competition but this was competition at its best. Just the right amount of pressure, just the right amount of difficulty. A tiny blaze of glory for a hardworking gifted boy.