Community Chat

[libbyannE]

I loved elementary school and don’t recall even one unhappy day there. Excellent school in excellent school district. Lots of individual attention. At this time of year, I often recall the simple joys of shopping for and happily anticipating each year’s first day of school.  My mother had gone to the same school and had similar, happy experiences there. In fact, her third grade teacher was my sixth grade teacher, so the school had a warm family vibe to me. 

[Pook]

Went to Catholic school so not many favorite moments except when one of the nuns would send some lucky kid to the connected convent to get something and the sweet cook nun would give you cookies, cake or some desert with milk before you went back.  It always smelled so scrumptous there in the kitchen.

[avid shopper]

off the top of my head....walking home from school, stopping at "the gas station" and getting a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for 5 cents.  Then continuing the walk, checking out the flowers (weeds) in bloom and dropping off friends on the way.  I was the last on the walk home route. 

[gellen]

My sixth grade teacher loved Egyptology.  One Saturday he took all of us down to the University of Pennsylvania Egyptology exibit.  I was fascinated and still am by history.  It became  my favorite subject in school and college.  I wanted to become a history teacher but ended up as an Elementary Education major and then Master in Library Science. Still a school librarian after many years!

[Caaareful Shopper]

Clear as day...

Third grade, we had an English teacher, Mrs. Jenkins.  She was never a particularly warm woman.  She came into our classroom, read to us, asked a couple of questions, and then she left.  

One day she had a well-worn book that she held like a baby close to her.  She said, “Paul Laurence Dunbar, In the Morning, a poem.”

Not only did she read the poem, but she acted it out in the late 19th century dialect and temperament in which that poem was written.  I was absolutely mesmerized.  

I’ve written a book of poetry, and contributed to several poetry publications in my 58 years.  Not my day job, just a passion of mine.  I can still recite that poem I first heard in the third grade, word for word.  I’d like to think Mrs. Jenkins is the reason I love poetry so much.  

[dex]

Mine was a sixth grade math teacher who had a talent to make math fun.He always said “no applause just throw money” after teaching us something new when we all understood.I arranged for everyone to bring pennies to class one day and we all excitedly waited for his famous punch line and just began throwing money.He was stunned and I think a little embarrassed too.He told us he would donate the money to a charity after we all helped him pick it up.

[jellyBEAN]

Wow, I have a lot more unhappy moments of elementary school, but if I had to pick one favorite it would be this:

In first grade on Valentine's Day, all the kids brought in Valentine's Day cards for their friends and I remember receiving one from a boy I had always thought was cute.  I was so flattered, but realistically, he probably brought in a VD card for everyone. 

Doesn't take much to make me happy!!

[deepwaterdotter]

Winning the fourth-grade spelling bee.

[Jordan2]

So this maybe isn't my favorite memory, but one that comes to mind. When I was in first grade I had this sweet young teacher, Miss Roman. She was probably fresh out of college. She was so kind and patient with all the students. Anyway, I remember one day seeing her at the bus stop, I was so excited to see her outside of school, I gave her a big hug. You never thought of teachers being like normal people, they were special.

[1Snickers]

@Caaareful Shopper   I’d love to hear the poem!