Historic Day

I was really looking forward to seeing my students' reactions to the inauguration today. We broadcast it on a giant screen in the library. On normal days the time between 7:15am-9:15am is swamped, noisy, busy- organized chaos. When President Obama was sworn in, it was nearly silent. The most interesting part of the day occurred when the late bell rang during the middle of the President's speech. I had about 120 kids in the room and around 40 risked a tardy to stay and watch the rest of the speech. All of them were boys. Not one girl. I was really surprised (and saddened) by that. However, the boys that stayed warmed my heart because they were so engrossed and interested in the whole day. I did not vote for Obama, but I really enjoyed the reactions of my students and the historical significance of today. I wish I had thought to bring my camera.