When students spot you outside of school

Just about every educator experiences that moment when younger students from your classroom, school or district spot you somewhere in a non-school environment. The look on their face tells you that they never expected to see you anywhere but at school. They act like you live there and are a fish out of water if you show up anywhere else. The connection of you as part of the school building is just that strong.

Yesterday, I was at our state capitol conducting some legislative business when I thought of meeting some of our 3rd grade classes that were there for a field trip. When I walked up to the first group I spotted, they had that look again. One asked if I work in the capitol and another wondered if I was the governor. It kind of rattled them and you could see in some that their young minds were spinning trying to figure out how I could be there instead of eighty miles back at school.

Then we paused for a fun photo on the capitol steps.