Saturday, March 1, 2014

Slice of Life Challenge - Day 1 - First Grade

     My fifth graders and I are going to participate in the Slice of Life Challenge this month, and they're writing memoirs.  I thought I'd do the same kind of writing - memory writing - throughout the challenge.  My new writing idea/goal is to write an early chapter book series based around a character very much like me, so remembering my childhood stories is very important for that project.  I'm going to be writing around photographs and memorabilia.  Day 1:
 
 
     My mom got a job as a first grade teacher in our town the same year I was a first grader, so we were in the same building.  I would go to school with her and help with bulletin boards, name tags, and organizing her room.  Perhaps that's why I became a teacher, too!  My first grade year was not entirely a pleasant memory.  I loved being with my mom, but I also remember getting paddled (and having to stand in line waiting for it to happen), having to put my nose in a circle drawn in chalk on the blackboard, just high enough I had to stand on my tippy-toes to reach it, during recess, and getting sent to the principal's office for kicking a boy on the playground (he had it coming).  I really wasn't a trouble-maker.  Really!  I just talked too much, I think.  My 1st grade report card had all Bs for "Conduct." 
 
 
 
     I was the angel in my first grade Christmas pageant.  I was the tallest kid in my class (except for the boy I had a crush on - he's in the stable playing Joseph).  I don't look very happy playing the angel.  One of the shepherd boys used to chew his crayons.  I had a little crush on him, too (I was nervous to introduce him to my dad at open house), and chased him at recess.  He was about a foot shorter than me.  He may have been the boy I kicked...
 
     When I went to second grade, I had to change buildings, and I remember crying often because I missed my mom.  First grade may not have been the happiest year of school, but my mom was right there, and THAT I loved.  It was difficult to make that transition without her.  Then there was second grade.  Come to think of it, that year wasn't all that happy either...
 
     


24 comments:

  1. Welcome to SOLC! I love your post. I was a child of a teacher, and a teacher with a child at the school I taught at, too. My dad taught at the high school I attended, and my daughter attended the preschool I where I was a teacher. There are advantages and disadvantages to both! Thanks for sharing your memories.

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    1. Thank you! My kids were in the same building as me for a few years, and I loved it. I think it creates a special bond. That's why it was so hard to leave my mom at the end of that year! Thanks for reading!

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  2. Such a fun post! What a wonderful way to model for your students and help the rest of us teach memoir writing.

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    1. I can't wait to read theirs - they're writing in their journals, so I won't be able to see them until Monday (or Tuesday since we're getting a winter storm AGAIN).

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  3. Welcome to the SOLC month, Holly. Those pictures are adorable, and I covet that lunch box. I remember getting paddled, too - quite a bit. And I remember having to wait, too. What different days those were! Looking forward to your slices, Holly, and more trips down memory lane.

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    1. Thank you, Tara! I know - isn't that lunch box funny?! I'm kind of glad you remember the paddling, too - sometimes it seems like a made-up memory - it's so unbelievable. Yes, different days, thank goodness! ;-)

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  4. Wow! What a great idea for writing your slice posts. But the stories of how your first grade teacher punished students (and you) makes me sad. Look forward to reading your other posts.

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    1. I know - when I write them I think how crazy it was. Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Welcome! I'm a new slicer, too, and like you, had parents as teachers. I'm starting this with my 6th graders and love your memoir idea. We started our year with memoirs-- they're so rewarding to write! Enjoyed your post!

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    1. Thank you, Katy! Good luck with slicing - we'll navigate our first challenge together! :-)

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  6. I love the idea of writing about old photos... that must be a wealth of possible stories! I can't wait to see what the month brings.

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    1. Thanks, Maria. It gives me a focus with LOTS of material. :-)

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  7. So glad you are joining us here. Those photos are a great addition. I teach in the same building that my children attend and it definitely has its perks. I look forward to more slices from you and memories you will share.

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    1. Thanks, Betsy! The photos are fun for me to sift through - so many memories!

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  8. Wow I love these memories, They made me smile...even though they weren't your best.

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    1. Even the not-so-great memories are great fodder for stories! :-)

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  9. Great idea to look at old photos! I'm glad you had the year near your mom - I hope there are a few great memories too - The way you were treated makes me so sad. :(

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    1. Oh yes, of course, but isn't it funny that sad or bad memories stick with us the clearest sometimes?! I had a happy childhood, so those moments were few, but I sure do remember them!

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  10. Oh man. Not such good memories! And to think you wanted to still be a teacher -- I'm guessing to make a difference in positive ways!

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    1. Ha - it is kind of funny that those moments didn't ruin teaching for me. Stay tuned, though - I have lots of good memories of teachers, too!

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  11. I love everything about this post. The reflection, the looking back with adult eyes...and the feelings of course. That missing feeling you clearly still remember. Although, I got to say the way that teacher punished the kids, that's just heartbreaking. thanks for sharing. Excited to continue reading.

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    1. Thanks, Stella! Yes, those days of corporal punishment and humiliation were not the most positive. ;-) I survived, though. I don't think it kept me from talking, however. I continued to get Bs in conduct throughout the years. ;-)

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  12. I found myself catapulted back into my elementary days as a student. My mom didn't teach at the school, but she was the library aide and the girl scout leader, you know the mom that was always there! Funny how your memories, even though they were very different than mine took me back! Thanks, looking forward to more travels with your slices!

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  13. I liked how you described yourself in the picture

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