Addison started fourth grade. He was so excited to have gotten the teacher he really wanted... Mr. Doolittle. He's a real live Dr. Doolittle. His classroom is full of wiggly, crawly creatures and critters that the kids can take out to recess and bring home on the weekends (lucky us!). Addison loves him because he lets them chat, put their feet up on the desk, and be in charge of doling out the animals to the other kids at recess. I love him because he is exactly what a fourth grade boy should have for a teacher. Their "chats" are great group discussions. When Mr. Doo is teaching a concept and someone has something to add, his idea is not to get on with his lesson and overlook the kids' input, but to discuss it and find out what interests the kids, helping them apply what they're learning to their ever expanding lives. He empowers (thanks, Tom for helping me find the word) the kids by telling them to sit back and relax when it's appropriate, but reminds them that this isn't the usual rule for school, and he's trusting them because they can handle it. If someone else comes in the classroom, feet come off the desks, but while they're with Mr. Doo, he knows he can trust them enough to give them a little room to breath. He gives them responsibility for these creepy little animals and they really take it! They clean their cages, make sure they're fed, and keep watch as other classrooms handle the animals. Addison is positive he is Mr. Doo's favorite kid, which he very well may be (I'll admit a little favoritism here), but I'm pretty sure every kid in class feels the same way...
