Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A Beautiful Mind (for first grade).


I have a strange brain. It must be so. I remember things I really don't need to remember and I have very little use for. I can remember my first grade teacher. I can look at a first grade picture and remember most of the kids in the class. I guess that information would be handy if I go to a first grade class reunion. I could walk up to "Beaver Smith" and say, "You got your teeth fixed and you're taller than you were in first grade".......and he would say, "And you are who?"

My first grade teacher was Mrs. McDonald. At least at the start of the school year. Actually her name was Miss Danaher at the start of the year. She married Mr. McDonald. She got up in front of class one day and said she had changed her name and was leaving us. All the girls got hysterical, all the guys did not care. She was replaced by Mrs. Phinney.

The only thing I remember about first grade was a book about "Crictor the Boa Constrictor", who was a friendly snake. A good thing, I might add. I heard later on that
Boa Constrictors could get a little cranky when they are hungry. I did not know that then, otherwise I would not have pestered my mother for two years to get a Boa Constrictor. The other story I remember was about "The Little Engine that could."
A rather pointless little homily about...whatever!!!!

Now the telling part: They started talking about numbers in first grade. I had no interest in math. All my male classmates could count to ten. All the female classmates could count to a hundred. Ordene Fatflank, the smartest girl in our class could count to a thousand and she could do it in reverse.
When I graduated from first grade I only knew one number: Seven. I did not see the importance of math until eighth grade. I could count to ten by then. Counting my money was a math thing. I started to learn. My ability to remember useless information carried me right up till junior high school.
I remember that Dick and Jane were introduced in first grade, but we really got into heavy in second grade.
"Run, Spot, Run. See Spot Run"
"See Dick, See Spot, See Jane"
"Jane sees Dick, Run Dick, run."

I may have misquoted but it was something along those lines.
First grade was wonderful except for the Math.
My brain is still strange. I never did get it straightened out.

3 comments:

  1. It's not strange, it's unique. :-)

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  2. I can remember my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Sessions because a male teacher in an elementary school was practically unheard of back when I was in the 6th grade.
    And from college, I can remember how to say "It ain't no big deal" in Hawaiian.
    It's amazing what tends to stick in your brain.

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  3. I love the inner workings of your brain - what a fantastic, insightful and entertaining post.

    I'm always amazed at what tends to stick in our minds and not slide off like a waffle down a wall!
    My first teacher was Mrs Bolton, I always remember her as she was quite kind and gentle but could give a booming shout at misbehavior. I also remember sitting next to a boy called Robert West and doing colour in timetables sheets and him sneezing over me leaving me rather embarrassed. The first books I remember are 'Not Now Bernard' and 'Hungry Caterpillar'.

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