I had a little turtle

Last week a turtle came to visit our classroom. He "volunteered" by poking his out of some bushes as I walked to the classroom that morning.  That was one brave little turtle! . He was picked up, carried, tapped, inspected, screamed at, chased (both inside and outside) and turned every which way you can imagine and he only retreated into his shell  for about ten minutes total.
I loved watching the kids warm up to the turtle too. The boys, of course, took all of 5 seconds, to think it was the coolest thing ever. Even most of the girls were excited, and eventually got brave enough to tentatively touch the turtle. It's exciting to see them opening up and being willing to try something they're a little nervous about- a good skill they'll need as they head overseas!