More often than not, the flow of the art class begins with an introduction of some sort, whether an image gallery, a discussion, or a demonstration, which is followed by process time when the students work on their projects. Once the students are engaged in their work, they chat at their tables. I walk around, looking over shoulders, checking in here and there. Occasionally I hear something amongst the chatter that stops me midstep, one foot hovering in the air as my mind captures what I’ve just heard. This week it was a sixth grade boy, who challenged his tablemate: “So, you want to be epic?” and after a perfectly timed pause, “First you must acquire a taste for free-form jazz…”

Sixth grade! Oh, how I love a good laugh in the middle of the day!