My day in first grade
I volunteered in Eli's first grade classroom today since I had the day off. A few lessons I learned:
- It's better to pack a lunch the night before. I was almost late because I forgot that I needed a lunch, too. We're always telling Eli to plan ahead.
- First grade is all about fun. My job today was to teach small groups how to play the board game Sorry. This way, everyone got to learn the game in preparation for days when they have to have indoor recess. I did catch the teacher trying to teach them real stuff, though, each time I took one group back to the room to exchange for another group.
- Titles come slow to some. I was referred to as Mrs. Chris the entire morning by one boy. Maybe I should spend less time in front of the mirror in the morning.
- Age is relative. I said the oldest person could have the first turn each game and went around the table asking each kid how old they were. A few weren't sure even when their birthdays were. I finished by asking how old they thought I was. Answers ranged from 14-100, with most guessing in the mid to late 40's.
- Six-year-old boys like to see grown-ups run all over the playground chasing down kickballs. Yes, I got to go to recess, and my kickball line was the biggest. Nearly 15 kids lined up when they saw I was pitching.
- Boys do NOT like it when their mothers write love notes on their napkins to be discovered at lunch. Save it for at home, moms. One boy apparently got one in his lunch several weeks ago and his classmates haven't let him forget. It was the first topic of conversation at our lunch table.
- Lunch ladies are still mean.
- Finally, it's just a few decades late, but I was the most popular kid in school today.
me as a 1st grader
Sacred Heart Elementary School, Farmington, New Mexico - 1979-80 (my wife was coming up on her one year birthday then)
5 Comments:
aww that is sweet Chris! What fun! I love the age range guesses! When I was 15 I helped out in my cousins kindergarten class once and one little girl walked up to me and said, "wow, you are so old, you must be like 10!" Still mkaes me smile to think about it.
I will mentally file and remember the bit about love notes in the boys lunches....so sad...
Wonderful post. Could be the start of a book. Something like "Everything I Know I Learned in First Grade."
You're right about fun. My first grade teacher brought a birthday cake for each child's birthday. (But I was in a two-room school and there weren't that many in the class. And, yes, we had to walk to school in two feet of snow and it was uphill both ways.)
P.S. I wonder about the little word verification "security" process on yours and others' blogs. Can't bad people read squiggly-lined words? I did get one wrong one time!
Maybe you should change professions and be an elementary teacher!
My first grade teacher was Mrs. Raddon--she was also my Dad's first grade teacher and a sweetheart. We made Indian head bands with lots of feathers at Thanksgiving & chanted in the halls for all the classes. I do not think they would do that now! That was 1953.
Was there anything that Eli didn't want you to do... so you wouldn't embarrass him?
Loved the comments about the kids guessing your age! haha
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