Working in the elementary school during the month of September fills me with delight and awe. The kindergartners hold my hand while we walk to our testing area. They tell me all about what matters to them: their baby sister or brother at home, how they were once in their mommy's tummy, their favorite color or animal, and why they like recess. If it is Teddy Bear Picnic Day, the children even bring their stuffed bears with them so the bears can be tested too. First graders don't need hand holding, but they still like to talk. The older grades are tested in groups. This can be challenging to keep each student in the group on task and motivated to endure such a long exam, but we all have fun during breaks playing Simon Says and I Spy. Life is good even during a test which is a lesson to learn for life!
Tonight is Back to School Night for my oldest daughter who is a high school English teacher; I would love to have her as my teacher. I admire and respect her for her devotion to the students she teaches. I am amazed how she memorizes all of her students' names within the first week of school. I don't remember names as easily, but I do remember faces. I delight in waving to the children I have tested at the elementary school as I pass them on the sidewalk. They never fail to smile back or wave. I agree with Robert Fulghum who believes "All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten". What a happy world we would live in if we all smiled back and waved to each other with loving kindness and respect through elementary school, high school, and beyond; another life lesson to learn!
A big thank you to all the teachers in our lives, especially at school and at home!
Jaclyn and her niece Mae visiting her high school last spring. Mae loved drawing on the white board.
No comments:
Post a Comment