Love is in the details

I had this *brilliant* idea on Sunday night. I thought that perhaps in order to prepare my students for Grade Four, I'd stop cutting their apples. This way, I figured, they will go into Grade Four prepared to eat their apples the good ol' fashioned way and perhaps some of the transition from Primary to Junior would be a little smoother and a little less of a "whoa!".  

For years now, if students wanted, I'd cut their apples for them at first recess. They seem easier to eat that way and a LOT less goes to waste. Uncut, I found that kids would take a few bites and then toss them because they were too large to eat. If parents cut them at home, the apples are often brown by first recess and well, off to the garbage they would go.  So cutting them seemed like a win-win.  

Then, last night, I caught a repeat episode of Oprah from 2006.  She kept repeating, "love is in the details" throughout the program.  And I thought about those apples.  

I'm by nature, both a details person and a bit (okay, a lot) of a worrier. Was telling the kids I wasn't going to cut their apples anymore really a "thing" to fret? Would the kids care either way?  Was it even a big deal whether I cut them or not? "Who cares Patti!" I said to myself! Just cut the apples...or don't.  

Love is in the details.  

So I told the kids I wouldn't cut their apples after today. They seemed okay. No one really said much. I think someone might have sighed, but the window was open, so it could have been the breeze too. Then we carried on with our day.

Love is in the details.  

But on the drive home I realized this: part of what makes me feel like a good teacher is cutting their apples. It makes me feel connected to my students. It makes me feel like I'm taking care of them. I feel like when I cut their apples, trim off any brown spots and put them in these little plastic bowls we have, they know I love them.  It's this little thing we do that makes us feel like a little family.

Love is in the details. 

Decision made: I'm sticking to cutting the apples. They'll have all summer to figure out how they want to eat their apples in Grade Four. 

Love is in the details.