You can get a feel for how the day is going to go by the number of different directions your students’ hair is going in when they arrive for the day. I’m a mother and I well remember how some of those evenings on a school night go. Late suppers, late baths, hurry them into bed with still-damp hair. I remember those nights very well indeed. So when I saw two heads pass by me at the outset of today looking like they belonged on a compass rose, I knew we were in for it.
Following close on the heels of Directionally Challenged Hair came the manifestation of The Plague. I listened in dismay as my students, who were the picture of health the day before, began the day coughing like they were long-time fans of Lucky Strikes. Cough, cough, coughing all day long. Where did this madness come from? It wouldn’t be so bad except that when you are in first grade, covering your mouth is for sissies. It went something like this…. “Mrs. Dahl, I have a question about problem #2” (cough), “can you help (cough) me? (cough, cough, couuuugghhh), please? (cough, cough, sneeeeeeeze). “Eeeeewwww, gross. I need a tissue, Mrs. Dahl.” Yeah, no kidding.
Then there was the student who has real shoe issues. The issue is, he can’t seem to stay IN his shoes. I don’t mean he takes them off. No, I mean they are in a constant state of un-tie-ed-ness. They are a tad too large for his feet, and he literally steps out of them at the most inopportune times. The easy solution would be to simply bend over and tie his shoes for him or teach him to tie them. The PROBLEM is, his idea of tying is putting knots in his laces. When I ask him to tie his shoes, he just reaches down and adds another knot. Every time I take the time to undo his knots, or trick some unsuspecting aide into doing it for me, he just starts the process all over again. Many times I have seen him walking down the hall, and have to double back to pick up his shoe (or shoes). It’s like they’re trying to escape and make a run for it on their own. He trips so often that I think I might not even recognize him if he were upright. I’m half tempted to put tread on the bottom of his socks and call it good.
Next came a very confident (VERY confident) student, who believes that he and I are really co-teachers in the first grade room. He likes to correct his classmates when I am standing right beside him, he considers himself The Keeper and Decider Of Rules, and he considers it his duty to report offenses committed by his classmates (for their own good, of course). This afternoon he looked me in the eye and said in complete seriousness, “Mrs. Dahl, I think you should start calling me, Lord Megatron.” Really? Hmmmmm, let me just think about that for awhile…..uh, the answer is no. (Lord have mercy!)
Our next order of the day was visiting the Science Fair in the gymnasium. I have been trying to instill a love of discovery in my group, and knew this event could be really beneficial and fun. Each one was given a clipboard and pencil, and instructed to write What, How, and Why on their papers before we left the classroom. We talked about how science really just means someone is curious about something and investigates it in order to answer those three questions. Then we dressed as scientifically as we could with whatever I could pull out of the dress-up box and our Stolen Heart costume box. I found a doctor coat, scrubs, 2 stethoscopes, a fedora, a tie, and whatever else looked fun. We looked GREAT!
As we went from project to project at the fair, asking our three questions, I noticed that some of my students were actually taking notes. Yesssss! And when I asked them later to relay something they had learned, almost all had a ready answer.
Did I mention I also hosted my first parent/teacher conferences?? Whew! It was a long day! I haven’t been home all that long, and need to get some sleep so that I can get up and do it all again tomorrow. It’s a really good thing I love what I do.
The icing on the cake came near the end of the day when Mr. Hair Reaching For The Sky was headed to the coatroom. Without even looking at me, he threw an, “I love you” at me and kept on going. I would have questioned if it was even intended for me, except that I was the only one in the room at the moment. As if to dispel any doubt about his intentions, his head appeared round the corner, pointing hair first, then big eyes and freckles. “Did you hear me?” he questioned. “I love you.” I smiled, and this time not because his hair was giving me the giggles. “I love you too.” He grinned that missing-teeth smile at me and I remembered why I wanted to teach first grade.
I really can’t wait for tomorrow……
No comments:
Post a Comment