stumbling – on more than just stairs

As I left their small apartment, I missed one of the shallow steps and went sprawling onto the sidewalk. Ouch!  Two gashes on the palms of my hands, a scrape on my knee and I’ll probably be sore tomorrow.  Feeling deflated, I treated myself to a breve latte and headed back to school to resume my data entry on the computer.

What a day! Last year I had 6 returning students – I’ve forgotten how having at least a third of my class know the routine was so significant at the beginning of the year.  I have 13/16 new students and they are clueless! Clueless!  Remember preschoolers know nothing about school!  They don’t know how to put away backpacks and coats, how to use the crazy sinks we have here, how to enter and be in a cafeteria, how to respond to cues like bells and lights, peers and teachers!

My schedule that I spent countless hours working on and debugging unraveled quickly as I was notified of a staffing change that then failed to materialize.  Poor Maestra got no break today because no one came to relieve her.  When the time for her break came and went and no one showed up, I had to adjust the students schedule as well – and hope that Maestra would make it through the next 2 1/2 hours without a snack.  All in all though, I have to admit it was an okay first day.  No tears today, everyone played successfully and illustrated their journal covers with a “self portrait” and made it onto the bus for the trip home.

And it really was quite something to be able to tell the family that I visited after school that their kindergartener – one of my recent graduates – was top in his class on the first assessments.  Reflecting on their pride makes up for the 3 band aids I’m now sporting.

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