first week reflections

Me, to class in their ABC line:  In one week we will start taking turns being the line leader and the caboose.

Boy 1:  Can I be the platypus?

*****************

Me, to sad boy at dismissal:  What’s wrong, honey?

Boy 2:  I got in trouble when I wouldn’t come get in line.

Me:  That’s right.  I blew my whistle and said “get in line” but you kept on playing on the playground.  I told you I wasn’t happy about that.

Boy 2, on verge of tears, to his mother:  I don’t like my teacher!

Me:  Would you like a hug?

Boy 2:  Yes.  (We hug, awkwardly, because of where he is standing.)

Me:  How about if you sit on my lap instead?

Boy 2:  Okay.  (Pause, for some tears, while leaning on my shoulder.) I don’t want to be your teacher anymore!

******************

*It’s amazing having TWO other adults in the room every day.  On the first day of school, Miss Dickens and my assistant teacher (I’ll call her Miss Watson, after Sherlock Holmes’ assistant) and I got to sit and chat for the last ten minutes before the kids arrived!  Unheard of!  But we were all ready to go, and ahead of time.

*The little girl who went to kindergarten under an assumed name is very interesting.  Today the Princess brought her to the room at arrival, because she had found her standing outside the front door, not moving, staring into space, after all the other kids from her bus had gone inside.

*Several of my darlings are hard to understand.  It’s probably all developmental stuff, but there is a great speech and language teacher who visits my room often, so I’ll ask her to keep tabs on them.

*Friendships are already starting up.  Boy 1 and Boy 2, for one thing, are a pair.  Today they were Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham (or, Robin Hood and The Bad Guy).  Lots of little girls paired off at recess, too.  It’s funny, however, because they don’t know each other’s names.  I try to teach them their friends’ names, but they just call each other “friend.”  “Friend!  I’m a monster!  Let’s run!”

*The twins have wildly divergent drawing ability.  One of them draws like a three year old, the other like a five year old.  It will be interesting to see in what other ways they differ academically.

*Tomorrow Miss Mellow and I will meet at a coffee shop to plan out our themes for the whole year.  So far we’ve only got September done.