We have a sandbox at school. My students like to make sand pies, dig to the bottom of the box, make tracks, build sandcastles. Everyday is a completely new adventure when it comes to the sandbox. The other day, I sat down by a tiny human (about three years old) who decided to build a sandcastle. He chose the perfect pail and perfect shovel. Then he sat down to begin his work. He meticulously shoveled sand into the pail until it was full. After a few tugs on the pail, he managed to turn it over into the sandbox to dump the sand out. As he pulled the pail up, I watched the sand topple down in a messy heap. I took a breath, prepared to reassure him that we could try again together. But he looked at me with the proudest smile you’ve ever seen, and giggled.

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