All I really need to know I did NOT actually learn in Kindergarten, but I learned some really cool things nonetheless! Recently, I was talking with someone (honestly, I don’t even remember who) about the fact that I still remember so much about dinosaurs from what I was taught by my Kindergarten teachers. Can you believe that? Seriously. I don’t recall reading another book, hearing another lecture, or watching another movie (other than Jurassic Park) about dinosaurs, but I still remember so much of that little Kindergarten lesson many years ago. That started my wheels turning…what other school days memories do I have? I began going through each grade thinking of a memory – some are educational, some are mischevious, and some are just purely delightful. But…I came up with one from each grade. I actually have several that I could have written for some years, but I kept my little log at just one memory for each grade. How about you? Do you have any school days memories that just really stand out?
Here’s a glimpse at mine:
Kindergarten – I’ve already named it above. Dinosaurs must have fascinated me, because of all the things I’m sure I was taught in Kindergarten – this is the only one I remember.
1st Grade – I remember my teacher putting the word K-N-O-W on the board and asking us to tell her how to pronounce the word. It was on the board all morning, and we kept guessing and guessing until FINALLY – right before lunch – some smart boy in my class finally pronounced it correctly. I guess we were starting a unit on silent letters. Who knows? Ha! Ha! Get it? Who K-N-O-Ws? OK – moving on…
2nd Grade – I had a wonderful teacher that let me work at my own pace in my math book, because I loved math (at the time) and always wanted to work ahead. I finished it before Christmas, and she let me go up to the BIG 3rd grade hallway and ask one of the 3rd grade teachers for a math book to use for the rest of the year. I was so scared to go up there and ask, because I was really shy then. But…I did it!
3rd Grade – We got to write letters to our favorite authors, and I got a letter back from Judy Blume and thought that was the neatest thing in the world! This was actually the year I fell in love with reading.
4th Grade – I memorized The Gettysburg Address for extra credit.
5th Grade – I told my teacher that I saw her driving her car and asked if it was a Fiat. She appeared rather shocked and told me most assuredly that it was a Porsche! I still don’t know the difference in cars.
6th Grade – I remember diagramming sentences over and over and over.
7th Grade – We dissected frogs in science, and I was the only one that got a female frog (full of eggs – yuk!).
8th Grade – This was a rough year. We moved to Florida, and my friends threw a surprise going away party for me. I ended up moving back 3 months later.
9th Grade – Driver’s Ed. Driver’s Ed. Driver’s Ed.
10th Grade – I remember learning absolutely NOTHING in Biology class…not a great teacher!
11th Grade – I played the role of Mrs. Paroo in the The Music Man.
12th Grade – This was a great year, and I have LOTS and LOTS of memories. Perhaps one of the best was getting to help teach Spanish to 3rd graders at the nearby elementary school as part of an assignment for my Communications class.