I was making pancakes for breakfast this morning and Mary was “assisting” me.  And since she was helping, why  not make this time a “learning” experience, as well.

So, I asked her, “What is this?” pointing to the frying pan.

“Pan,” she says.

“How do you spell pan ?”

She sounds it out, “Peh- peh- P - uh-uh-uh- A? - pa-nnnn-nnnn- N?” smiling as she gets the word.

That smile reflected mine, ever so proud that she has grasped the concept of letters and the sound they make and the way they comprise a word.

Then, I ask her, “What is this?” holding up the utensil I was using to flip the pancakes.

“Spatula!” she says.

Wow, how did she learn that?

“That’s right.  Where did you learn this from?”

“Spongebob.”

Oh, THAT other teacher…