Friday, February 4, 2011

Back to the Classroom

I got a call last week asking me to come back to Plainview Elementary, where I was Principal back in 2001, to work with some Kindergartners who needed extra help.

How could I say "no" to the sweetest kids at the best school in the universe?
It was surprising to me how many things had changed in ten seemingly short years. 
  • Now children have breakfast in the classroom.  Not sure where that idea came from or the whys. 
  • All classroom doors are locked all the time.  This is to prevent intruders.  It would seem easier to lock the outside doors instead. 
  • Little or no outside recess after their kindergarten year.  Not before school....or during school.
  • Kindergarten is now First Grade.  Back in the day when I taught ktg. we played, sang, cooked, painted, etc...  Now we are working hard on skills.  Reading. Writing. Rithmetic.  Why?
  • First Grade is now Second Grade. Get it?
Not sure what I think of all this....but I do think the children are wonderful.  They are happy to come to my classroom, and work hard on whatever I put out for them that day.  Some of them have heavy burdens, (two have lost parents this year, one's Mom has cancer) but they have that wonderful childlike resilience....that makes Donnamo happy to go work with them :)

What are your best school memories?

3 comments:

linpoq said...

How lucky those youngsters are!!! AND, having done the same thing recently, I KNOW how much you are enjoying a trip back to the classroom! A lot has changed, but some things never change....just look at those beautiful faces!!!

Ashli said...

Sounds like a meaningful way to fill your retirement time! I am sure they enjoy their time with Donnamo the fun-namo~!

Kimberly said...

Those kids are lucky indeed! When the girls stayed with us fall 2009 the school they attended qualified for free breakfast (served in the rooms) because a certain percentage of the kids came from low-income families. I HATED it because what kid is going to choose a healthy breakfast at home when they will be given honey buns and poptarts when they get to school? The government funded program that provides this free "breakfast" should be ashamed.

And no recess! I lived for recess! Awful!

Sounds like you have some good kids though!