Day 5: a pencil, green onions, and a book

I started out today trying to give away a piece of technology--an airliner--that I haven't been utilizing in my classroom. That didn't pan out for today (maybe later), so I decided to just wait for opportunities for giving to arise. The first came during study hall when I gave a student a pencil. I jumped at the chance. I saw him clicking repeatedly on the top of his mechanical pencil and then exclaim something like, "Are you serious?" Immediately I reached into my desk drawer and came up with a brand new mechanical pencil from a box I bought a few years back. I purposely gave him a new pencil in case this was my only opportunity for giving for the day.

At lunch, however, I ran into my second chance. I had packed a delicious baked potato with all kinds of accouterments including really fresh, bright green onions. There were too many, however, for my small potato so I offered them up and had two takers. Erin said it was just what her sandwich needed.

By the end of the day, I still felt I needed to give something more substantial, so I took a book off my shelf before I left school for the library across the street. I thought that the library might have an opportunity to donate, and I was right.  I first pondered which book to take (I decided on one I thought was good, but I wouldn't miss).  At the library, I saw a sign about an upcoming book fair, but no big bucket to throw books into. At the last minute I decided to ask the librarian who was helping everyone with the new self-checkout system if they were taking donations. "As long as it's not a textbook," she said.  I wonder if anyone will buy my old copy of David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice? 

I'm wondering now how often I will have to seek out my giving opportunities and how often they will just fall in my lap.