Thursday, April 17, 2008

Childrens' Garden

As of today, a certain special someone has been hired as a kindergarten teacher. Looks like a certain special someone is going to exponentially increase her consumption of Mr. Graham's crackers.

The first time I stepped into my kindergarten classroom, I was handed a pencil and asked to draw a circle (or maybe the letter "O" or a zero). When I finished, I was told that I did it correctly -- I started my circle at the 12:00 position, drew clockwise, and ended where I began. Twenty-whatever years later, I still don't know why it's essential to draw a circle in that fashion, or why it was necessary to begin my education with that particular "skill".

Here's everything else I remember about that year:
*Our teacher was Mrs. Murphy.

*Each student planted some grass in Styrofoam cups filled with dirt.

*Milk and graham crackers.

*No one really slept during nap time.

8 comments:

Floyd said...

I have two clear memories from kindergarten:

1. During art time, I leaned over and kissed my "girlfriend" Kristen and got in trouble.

2. During show and tell time, I brought my new Transformer. It was "Shockwave," a purple Decepticon that transformed into a gun. When it came time to share, the other kids took Shockwave away from me, and I cried.

Anonymous said...

I have no clue why a 5 year old would need to start with the "correct" way to make a circle. If it looks like a circle, it's a circle.

Predictions for my future:

1. Yes, I probably will be eating a lot of grahamn crackers, but I will not be providing milk.

2. I am sure I will see Transformers during show and tell. I can't escape the power of Megatron.

3. I doubt there will be nap time. We need can't baby these kids today.

Anonymous said...

i draw my circles counterclockwise. suck on that, american education system!

- shawn

Gav said...

Kids now-a-days still don't sleep during nap time. They give BJ's.

Anonymous said...

My friend Naomi slept during nap time....and peed her pants every time.

Anonymous said...

floyd neglected to mention the extra awesomeness of Shockwave -- which was that in gun form, it made 3 different laser sounds that could literally be heard half a block away...

easily the favorite toy of my childhood (other than using an old wooden tennis racket to jam along with 80's metal).

[~jeff.]

Anonymous said...

Here is what kindergarten was for me:
1. Getting in trouble for drawing on the school with crayon (outside on brick).

2. Molly Frank telling that sun was drawn with yellow and lines through it (the Harry Chapin song Flowers are Red comes to mind.)

3. I learned what Upper and Lower case letters were and was shamed by one Annie Weigel who knew what they were and made me feel like shit.

Kindergarten blew.

Heather

Anonymous said...

that's crazy, MY teacher was Ms. Murphy! and I passed drawing circles counterclockwise. She just had it in for you.