The Spelling Bee was today, and Michael got out on his first word.
I'm very disappointed, and I can't stop thinking about it in order to get any work done. Which surprises me.
I'm surprised by how excited I was leading up to the event, how nervous I was sitting in there waiting for it to start, and how disappointed I am that he got out so early. I did the Spelling Bee once as a fourth grader and I got out on the first word, too, and I didn't care, so why do I care about this?
I guess it's because he studied so hard and he knew all those words. When he came home a few months ago and said he was going to be in the Spelling Bee, I didn't think much of it because he's just a first grader. How well could he possibly do? But as he studied those words, I was amazed at how well he learned them. Once he got them right he remembered them. I started thinking that he actually had a shot. When we arrived at the school there was some buzz among the teachers and parents that there was a first grader in the Spelling Bee this year.
But there's a reason they don't usually let first graders in the Spelling Bee. They are just squirmy little kids. They don't really have the composure to get up there at the microphone in front of the whole school and say what they know. They lack the gravitas, if you will.
Michael's word was "massage." I knew that was one that he studied, and he knew how to spell it. But he repeated the "g." He did it in such a way that nobody thought that he intended to put two g's in the word. He just stopped for a second, thought about it, and then picked up again on the last letter that he was on. (Which I think you are allowed to do, according to my viewing of the documentary "Spellbound.") Anyway, at first the judges told him he had it right, and he punched the air victoriously and took his seat. Then they discussed it for a while, then they went to the tape and reviewed it, and after what seemed like forever they walked over and told him that he had to leave the stage. He was visibly disappointed, and I felt crushed.
I wanted to get out of that auditorium as fast as I could, for some reason. I didn't want to hear any other kids spelling or misspelling words that I knew Michael knew.
Road Snacks #2 — Jack Van Cleaf
22 hours ago
3 comments:
Oh, no! Poor Michael. I hope this doesn't discourage him too much. He should try again next year!
(Sorry, this is long!)
I think we should clarify that we aren't disappointed with Michael, just the situation. I almost cried. I was very hard to stay composed when we all knew that he knew that word, and that they almost let him have it.
And boy did he study for that bee. And with virtually no whining.
There wasn't a word read that I didn't know that he knew. It was very hard to see kids up there not having a clue on words that I knew Michael could have spelled easily. Ninja? Yeah, she spelled it N-U-N-G-A. Call me if you want me to angrily read a list of easy words that other kids got wrong, like "cotton".
But we are going out for pizza tonight to celebrate all his hard work! And we are proud of him for trying. And realize that he is still one of the top 24 spellers in his whole school! They better be looking out for us next year!
Also, for me, I couldn't help thinking, "Oh, if we'd just helped him study a little more . . " or "We should have had him practice out loud more . . " Like I'd let him down as a parent by not preparing him enough.
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