First Grade

I had forgotten for a time just how dear first graders are. I haven't had a first grade class now for years.
Seeing the faces of the little ones killed last week jogged my memory.
They are fresh out of Kindergarten, and anxious to show they can be quite grown-up now that they are in
'real school.' They are so anxious to please, and to be pleasing.
They have lost that tendency to believe teacher already knows how their mom likes things done for them.
'You have to button my top button on my coat! My mom says I can't go outside just zipped up.'
In September they are very quiet, wondering privately if they are up to the tasks.
They are slowly getting used to the routines, and noting what boards are up.
They are so proud as they notice one day, some of them have actual work posted on some of the boards.
By October they have already begun to solidify friendships for what they think the year will bring.
They often know each other already; but anything new in someone, or anyone new to class starts to become
part of daily play lay acceptance. In Kindergarten they didn't seem to notice so much. They were guided more by finding the buddy who would definitely play dolls, or trucks. the girls got more and more girly for
the most part, and the boys had gotten a bit rougher than they were in pre-school. In first grade, though, they
have begun to take more delight in one another than in who will play what. They form the dearest, shyest little
bonds.
Then Halloween becomes an excitement which shakes them a bit out of their newly sophisticated school
personas, and they start to be a bit more giggly.
If Halloween was exciting, Thanksgiving really gets them going between the introspection of family traditions,
the history of the original Pilgrims, and the excitement of drawing turkeys, feasts, and getting ready for travel
or out-of-town relatives. They are way more interested in their art than they were a year before, as in they
want to make depictions more storied and complicated than any adult could tell with a naked eye.
For instance, that turkey may look pretty to you, but Johnny will tell you he is actually also looking for one of his feathers!
In Kindergarten, teachers are often  more a part of the art on the page, the gluing, pasting, writing names, explaining to little ones what is being depicted.
First graders don't always seem to even remember having been in that stage. They take such delight in giving
the 'art gallery' tour of their pages, that I'd often get caught up enough to realize Art was going overtime, and
parents were wondering why we weren't at the door before the bell rang. Naturally, we have to get out there
before the big kids try to race out!
First grade is the only grade I became amazed at so many new coats before Christmas.  I knew exactly what
had happened, because most first graders grow shockingly quickly between August and December. I'd
always remark: 'Oh you got a new coat. I love it.!'
Almost every time, I'd get a proud reply: 'My other coat was too small.'...or something to that effect.
By June, my heart would almost be heavy that I barely recognized the bitty girl or boy I'd met in late August
or early September, because the child had begun to take his or her own growth for granted. Only teacher
was dazed and amazed. Teacher was thought to be a little corny.
My greatest exposure to first grade was in a year when I had a nice friend who asked me to cover her classes as she dealt all year with chemotherapy, and weakness.
As I was a sub, I wasn't always able to get the classes I would loved to have taught. However, after taking
so many of my friend Phyllis's classes that year, whenever I got a chance to take a first grade class, I did.
For first graders, all information, all new experience is a wonder, as the little ones' imaginations and persons
are themselves.