This week I'm joining Memory Monday over at Retired Not Tired. Each week she provides a writing prompt. Why not head over and share your memories?
Oh, my first school, my first year in school, kindergarten...
I do remember kindergarten, and my teacher Mrs. B__. She was an older woman, soon to retire, set in her ways, quite old fashioned. I don't remember how she looked, or rather just fleeting memories of a tall, slender woman with graying hair piled onto the top of her head, glasses, and polyvester '70s skirts. How could one forget those '70s colors? But I'm not sure how accurate that picture is considering the memory is from, er, 37 years ago.
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| My Elementary School, Now a Community and Business Building - Photo Credit |
I was a precocious child. I wouldn't say I was a handful, but more strong-willed with ideas of my own that I didn't hesitate to explore (even when something else was expected of me). I had no real interest in reading or learning math, but spent most of kindergarten making "books" out of construction paper. I don't remember USING those books, just making piles and piles of them until Mrs. B___ considered them a waste of time and materials, Soon, I was limited to just one a week.
I also did a lot of talking and playing with J___, a boy I went to preschool with the year before. We had a good ol' time in preschool too...
And, oh no! I was left-handed. How was a teacher supposed to teach a left-hander to write? Mrs. B___ even encouraged my Mom to force me to write with my right hand. She didn't bargain on that my Mom was left-handed too. I'm still a lefty!
But my biggest memory was Mrs. B__'s doll. The doll! It was a rag doll with a squishy-soft body and a painted plastic face. This doll had a smiley, happy face on one side, and a frowny, sad face on the other. She used it to convey her feelings about our behaviors. Guess what face I saw? Yeah, the frowny one.
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| Photo Credit |
But despite the doll, I have some good memories of kindergarten too, the milk cartons in the morning and the special snacks I brought from home, the wooden puzzles I loved doing, recess...and drawing horses with heart faces.
That's a pretty good memory of your teacher. I had to laugh at the doll that she used to show her feelings to you. The certainly didn't know how to deal with left handed children. My brother is left handed, I will have to question him on that one. Thanks for sharing your memories.
ReplyDeleteYour memories made me smile. My brother is a lefty, too and they tried to change that, but it just didn't work.
ReplyDeleteOur granddaughter is in kindergarten now and she loves making books. She makes up stories and gives the books to us.
Fun school memories. :-) Love that building! That would make a home for several families. :-) It looks monstrous! - in a good way, of course.
ReplyDeleteLove your memories and thanks for joining in.
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