On the first day of fifth grade, in my new upper grade classroom (about which I was most excited), I eagerly waited to hear my name as Gwendolyn Winans called out names from her class roster.
"Lang, Allyson? Allyson?", impatiently asked, as she peered over her glasses, scanning the room.
From my desk I waived my hand wildly, having always been a child who liked to have her name called, being just self important enough to think I had something interesting to say.
"Allyson? Oh there you are. Hmm. I hear you're a trouble maker", and she moved on, to the next on her list.
Apparently my reputation as having something to say arrived in the classroom before I did. I was always a talker but rarely a trouble maker, and I was soundly defeated on my first day of school. Fifth grade was not the best year of my young education.
My daughters walked into the first day of fifth grade today, to a new classroom and a new teacher and a new set of classmates. I am confident that their first day will be more successful than mine was, although one of them is quite a talker.
Have a wonderful day girls, and stay away from teachers who peg you as trouble before you have a chance to speak.
"Lang, Allyson? Allyson?", impatiently asked, as she peered over her glasses, scanning the room.
From my desk I waived my hand wildly, having always been a child who liked to have her name called, being just self important enough to think I had something interesting to say.
"Allyson? Oh there you are. Hmm. I hear you're a trouble maker", and she moved on, to the next on her list.
Apparently my reputation as having something to say arrived in the classroom before I did. I was always a talker but rarely a trouble maker, and I was soundly defeated on my first day of school. Fifth grade was not the best year of my young education.
My daughters walked into the first day of fifth grade today, to a new classroom and a new teacher and a new set of classmates. I am confident that their first day will be more successful than mine was, although one of them is quite a talker.
Have a wonderful day girls, and stay away from teachers who peg you as trouble before you have a chance to speak.
3 comments:
What a horrid thing to say to a precious fifth-grader on the first day of school! Or on ANY day, actually. As a retired elementary teacher, I felt my goal was to enable the students to feel good about themselves, not defeated before they began!
I send along many happy school year wishes to those lovely young ladies of yours!
Words are so powerful -- aren't they? So thankful that you choose your words wisely. What beautiful girls you are raising!
Thank you both! Isn't it curious, the things that stick with you from grade school? I'm so hopeful that my girls are greeted each day with positive messages!
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