Earlier bedtimes.
Exhausted children.
Planned meals.
A daily schedule.
A greater sense of organization.
When a new school year resumes, without fail, I travel memory lane. Here we go.
Justin is a 4th grader. I vividly remember 4th grade. Mrs. Donaldson. Meanest teacher I ever had. I don't remember specific things I learned that year at Smoke Rise Elementary, but I do remember that the work load was more intense, the books were bigger and there was a whole lot to remember. I also remember things about that teacher. She was rude and loud and definitely didn't teach b/c she loved it! I remember her stapling notes to kids jeans pockets ( i thought this was horrific) and always making you feel less than adequate. I do remember my friends. I remember that was the year I got my ears pierced. I remember that boys and girls started liking each other.
Mitchel is a 3rd grader. For me that was Mrs. Middlebrooks. My first African American teacher and man did I love her. She made me nervous at first, she was loud and had a vocabulary of words I had never heard before. Pass meant go. As in when we were lined up to go down the hall she would say Pass. I reemmber that I memorized the Preamble to the Constitution that year ( I can still recite it ) and we learned a ton about Back History. I was Phyllis Wheatley in a play. She had high expectations and I learned a lot. I was also a favorite in the class along with my friend Shannon and we got to do all sorts of fun things. Clean out her closets. Decorate her bulletin boards. Oh, and we had pizza parties. She would order pizza and sneak it in the back door. It was cool.
Ashley is a first grader. In the first grade I had Ms. Bennett. I know that I loved her. She taught me how to read. She had this fabulous place for reading in her room. It was like a train car - a huge rectangle made out of wood, up on casters or something b/c I know it didn't just sit on the floor. It was open only on one side and it was filled with cushions and pillows. That is about all I remember. My mom liked her too. She even baby-sat for my family when my parents went to Mexico for a week. We stayed in touch with her for several years.
On the first day I took the kids to school. Normally they ride the bus, but I decided to drop them off. They sucked in their pride and let their mama photograph the big day. They found comfort in the fact that the Pollard girls (neighborhood and ward friends) were in a similar predicament - their mama had her camera too!
School starting back, means this mama is back at work as well. I opted out of the photo! I am happy to be on board with our district this year as an actual speech therapist with a provisional contract. The real deal contract won't be had until I am all done with grad. school, but I am inching my way there day by day and am loving it.
5 comments:
Those are some good memories you had from back in the day. I don't know that I could remember as much as you did about each grade. I hope your kids have good teachers and that this year is a good one for them. They look so cute in those pictures.
your best post yet! i plan to copy it one day and pass it off as my own :) great idea - and what wonderful (or not so wonderful) memories to pass on!
km
this is such a cute post! seriously, I love it.
And I would like to add that I read the word "resumes" like you would read it in french. as in a CV. submitting and application and a "resume." I was so confused. But I've got it now.
I hope your kids all had a great wonderful first day at school! Was Coleman sad to see his brothers and sisters go? Congrats on the pending contract for the school district! Who's watching Coleman while you work?
wow! Don't know if I could remember my school days that clearly. i love that picture of Ashley and her brother. the brick behind them really makes them stand out. Love the post!!
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