Early School Memories
Preschool: There was a giant yellow Big Bird you could ride. I have an impression of the room being red-orange, which must have been the carpet. I cried when my mom dropped me off, but she distracted me with a flower we were going to plant in a little ceramic pot and slipped out while I was busy. Next thing I know the day was over and she was there to get me, and I was taking my little marigold home.
Kindergarten: All I remember from kindergarten is the classroom decorations. A cut-out, laminated image of the Morton Salt girl on the wall, and all the students' names on raindrops surrounding her umbrella. A calendar on the inside of the door that changed every month. I remember "March: In like a Lion, out like a Lamb" and "April Showers Bring May Flowers." There was a laminated ruler with my name on it on my desk. We might have made Valentine's Day decorations by creating animals with heart shapes. I don't remember my teacher, or any of the students. Just decorations.
First Grade: Mrs. Fish? I think one of my classmates had worms this year—he had a brown-red mark on his elbow. I kept looking at my elbow, worried I'd caught it, and Mrs. Fish said, "You're not going to catch worms, Haley." We watched a video about pollution and I became obsessed with plastic rings killing dolphins and seals. I also remember writing about playing Nintendo on an assignment where we were supposed to write about our weekends, and my dad was impressed that I figured out how to spell "Nintendo."
"I just sounded it out, Dad."
We learned some Spanish this year—I don't remember any Spanish, but I do remember going to the library to sit in a circle while someone taught us words. I could tell you the layout of this library right now and exactly where the Amelia Bedelia books were.
Second Grade: I think I was in a joint class this year—half the class was in second grade and half was in third. This might have been the year we learned how to read a clock. I had a hard time with it and got frustrated and wrote, "I hate Mrs. [Student Teacher's Name]" on the back of my telling time worksheet. She pulled me aside to ask why I would write that and I just sat there cross-legged on the floor and cried. I wasn't used to not being able to figure things out. I bet I made that student teacher's day horrible—I wish I could go back and tell her it had nothing to do with her.
But I was great at reading. We'd sit around in a circle and popcorn read. You would read until you wanted to stop, and then you'd say "Popcorn...Rachel." Then it was Rachel's turn.
I loved reading. A kid complained that I read too fast during my turn to read out loud. His name was Nate. I liked him and thought he should be my boyfriend.
Third Grade: I got to leave my normal class in the middle of the day and go read books with other "accelerated readers." We read a book about Arabia that I accidentally kept when we moved. I felt really bad about it for awhile.
This was the year I got in trouble for telling dirty jokes and cussing on the playground, even though I didn't really do it. I was just listening. I got lunch detention, where the teacher made me write down all the cuss words I used. I wrote down a couple that I'd heard and turned it back into her.
"No, this isn't enough. Write down more. I know you used more."
So I wrote down every cuss word I could think of. My mom made me go to bed after supper and I wasn't allowed to read. I did anyway and just shoved my book under my pillow when I heard someone coming down the hall.
I also got in trouble for making fun of Ryan Butts' name. I did commit this crime. "I don't care what you think, Ryan BUTTS," I yelled from the top of the wooden pirate ship on the playground.
Kindergarten: All I remember from kindergarten is the classroom decorations. A cut-out, laminated image of the Morton Salt girl on the wall, and all the students' names on raindrops surrounding her umbrella. A calendar on the inside of the door that changed every month. I remember "March: In like a Lion, out like a Lamb" and "April Showers Bring May Flowers." There was a laminated ruler with my name on it on my desk. We might have made Valentine's Day decorations by creating animals with heart shapes. I don't remember my teacher, or any of the students. Just decorations.
First Grade: Mrs. Fish? I think one of my classmates had worms this year—he had a brown-red mark on his elbow. I kept looking at my elbow, worried I'd caught it, and Mrs. Fish said, "You're not going to catch worms, Haley." We watched a video about pollution and I became obsessed with plastic rings killing dolphins and seals. I also remember writing about playing Nintendo on an assignment where we were supposed to write about our weekends, and my dad was impressed that I figured out how to spell "Nintendo."
"I just sounded it out, Dad."
We learned some Spanish this year—I don't remember any Spanish, but I do remember going to the library to sit in a circle while someone taught us words. I could tell you the layout of this library right now and exactly where the Amelia Bedelia books were.
Second Grade: I think I was in a joint class this year—half the class was in second grade and half was in third. This might have been the year we learned how to read a clock. I had a hard time with it and got frustrated and wrote, "I hate Mrs. [Student Teacher's Name]" on the back of my telling time worksheet. She pulled me aside to ask why I would write that and I just sat there cross-legged on the floor and cried. I wasn't used to not being able to figure things out. I bet I made that student teacher's day horrible—I wish I could go back and tell her it had nothing to do with her.
But I was great at reading. We'd sit around in a circle and popcorn read. You would read until you wanted to stop, and then you'd say "Popcorn...Rachel." Then it was Rachel's turn.
I loved reading. A kid complained that I read too fast during my turn to read out loud. His name was Nate. I liked him and thought he should be my boyfriend.
Third Grade: I got to leave my normal class in the middle of the day and go read books with other "accelerated readers." We read a book about Arabia that I accidentally kept when we moved. I felt really bad about it for awhile.
This was the year I got in trouble for telling dirty jokes and cussing on the playground, even though I didn't really do it. I was just listening. I got lunch detention, where the teacher made me write down all the cuss words I used. I wrote down a couple that I'd heard and turned it back into her.
"No, this isn't enough. Write down more. I know you used more."
So I wrote down every cuss word I could think of. My mom made me go to bed after supper and I wasn't allowed to read. I did anyway and just shoved my book under my pillow when I heard someone coming down the hall.
I also got in trouble for making fun of Ryan Butts' name. I did commit this crime. "I don't care what you think, Ryan BUTTS," I yelled from the top of the wooden pirate ship on the playground.