it's not always black and white

Ms. Annie and I had time, amid all of the beginning of the school year rush to sit down for a few minutes to compare and reflect on our observations. I'm thankful to have a teaching partner who is such a keen observer of children, noticing the subtleties and having such a sense of what is important. In an exploration of white and black paint, Ms. Annie listened (she's a very good listener) and posed questions when needed. One boy remarked, "I've seen this color before...In a black and white picture."

The color gray was never said aloud, we wonder if that is the color he remembers. We wonder where he saw black and white photos. We need to hunt in our homes for black and white photos. We need to ask his parents if they have black and white photos. These are the thoughts, the wonderings, the to-do list that is so often the beginning of projects big and small.