The Lesson Plan

                                      
Dedicated to: Chris, a special friend

      Margarette slammed the alarm button off, crawled out of bed and trudged to the kitchen. She poured cereal and non-fat milk into a bowl, brewed coffee and gave her cat, Sophie, her morning treat.  

     “The person who invented the five day work week should be given a special medal and a holiday in their name,” she thought. 

      After her first gulp of black coffee, she turned to Sophie and said, “I love my teaching job on weekends and holidays. Just kidding, Sophie.”

       After completing her morning routine, she went back into the kitchen, pulled a gallon-sized plastic bag out of its carton and filled it with white rice. She placed the plastic bag of rice into a  cloth bag decorated with fairies. 

      “One can’t study fairy tales without discussing magic fairy dust. This rice will do,” she thought. 

       After lunch recess, Margarette brought her first-grade students into the class and asked them to sit on the carpet for story time. Margarette sat in her adult size chair, placed the fairy decorated bag on her lap and began.

       “Now, children, today I am going to tell you a story without a book. Today I’m going to tell you a fairy tale,” she said and scanned the cluster of little bodies. 

         Keith wiggled. Kate chewed on her ponytail. Andy poked Harriet. Judy placed her hands on Mary shoulders. Billy put his thumb in his mouth. Julie stared out the window. John coughed. Yolanda sat up straight and put her hands in her lap. Robin picked away sweater lint.

          “My fairy tale starts with the words long, long ago. Are you ready to listen?”

          “Teacher, teacher, I have to go to the bathroom,” Wally said without putting  his hand up.

          “Go. And, next time go to the bathroom at recess,” Margarette sighed.

           Margarette pulled her thoughts back to her lesson and began her story.

           “Long, long ago, in a fairy village nestled among the Fuchsia bushes in a country called Ireland, two young fairy girls were walking along the shores of Gentle Lake. They were looking for some special plants needed for their magic potions.”

            “Teacher, what are Fuchsia bushes?” Johnny interrupted.

            “A small flower that grows on bushes alongside the roads in Ireland. Now, back to the story. The two young fairy girls, Deirdre and Erin, were daughters of the Fairy Queen. Deirdre was the eldest and would one day be the Fairy Queen.”

             Helen spoke out, “So Deirdre is a princess!”

            “Yes, Helen. Now, a mean boy fairy called Connla, saw the two girls walking along the lakeshore. He wanted to learn all of the fairy magic spells and use one of his spells to take away all the good fairy magic. So, he swooped down, grabbed Deirdre and flew off with her.”

             Timothy yelled out, “There are boy fairies?”

             “Yes, Timothy. Next time, raise your hand and don’t yell out. Now, back to the story. Erin screamed at Connla to let Deirdre go, but she knew it was too dangerous to follow evil Connla to his village. So, she quickly flew back to her village and told the Fairy Queen what had happened.”

            Wally returned from going to the bathroom and sat down next to Paul.

            “Miss Teacher, Wally didn’t zip up his pants,” Paul said.

            Controlling herself, Margarette said, “Wally zip up your pants. Boys and girls, you can imagine how upset the the Fairy Queen was. Her daughter was fairy-napped, and in danger! She might tell Connla all the fairy magic spells.”

              “I wanna be a fairy queen when I grow up!” Lily said out loud.

              “Lily, you can’t. So, sorry. Now, the Fairy Queen told Erin to go back to Gentle Lake, gather some pure white sand in a bag and bring it back to her. Erin was a good daughter and did what she was told. The Fairy Queen placed the bag of white sand in the middle of her room and said a magic spell over it.”

                Regina turned to Marta, placed her hand on Marta’s head and said, “Magic spell, magic spell, make Marta disappear!”

                “Regina, that’s not nice. Be kind to your friends. Put your hands on your lap. Back to the fairy tale. The Fairy Queen told Erin to fly over Connla’s village and sprinkle it with the fairy dust.

                “Go, Erin! This dust will make everyone fall asleep. It will be safe for you to rescue Deirdre and bring her home,” the Queen said.

                “I’m sleepy. I want to go home,” Marta said.

                “It’s almost time to go home, Marta,” Margarette said. “Let’s listen to the rest of the story. Erin flew over Connla’s village and sprinkled the fairy dust on the village. Then, she found Deirdre in a wooden cage under an old oak tree. She let Deirdre out of the cage and they flew home together. 

               When the Fairy Queen saw her two daughters were safe, she hugged them and called for a special party. In a field of four-leaf clovers, the fairies feasted on honey cakes, apples, buttered bread and tea. They sang and danced to a joyful tune until the stars twinkled in the evening sky.

                “Can we have a big party for them?” Rudy said.

                “No. But I do have something really special for you,” Margarette smiled as she held up the fairy decorated bag. “We’re going to walk nicely out to the playground. I will say a few special words over this bag and the contents will become fairy dust. Then, I’ll sprinkle the magic fairy dust all over you.”

                 “My mommy doesn’t want me to get dirty,” Robin whined.

                 “Let’s all line up at the door and go outside. Robin, I won’t sprinkle you so don’t worry,” Margarette said.

                 Once outside on the grass, the children surrounded Margarette. She put her hand over the bag, said some very special words and smiled.

                “I’ll be first,” she said and tossed the fairy dust over her head.

                The children gasped and screamed in delight.

                Margarette winked at the children. Then, she flapped her delicate, translucent wings and flew over the children sprinkling fairy dust on all of them, except Robin, of course.