My last day of First Grade

Today was my last day of First Grade. I am relieved. At the same time it was sad to say goodbye to those kids. I finished my week teaching the letter R. I really enjoyed telling them the story I chose, which was a Brer Rabbit story, and it seemed they enjoyed it too. The first time I told them a story, for the letter C, I was much more nervous. I spent a lot of time learning the story, feeling inadequate about the details and certain that I would mess it up. After telling each story, the teacher draws a picture in colored chalks on the chalkboard in front the children for them to copy or draw along with you. I felt much more comfortable with this than I did with the story part. However, in practice, I found that I am better at telling a story than I am at chalkboard drawing. I practice and practice my drawings beforehand, using the crayons that the children will use, but chalk on black board is a very different result than wax crayons on creamy paper. I prefer the paper. The class drawings always come out better than my board drawing...each one as different as the child who draws it even though the subject matter is the same. That is very exciting to see.

So, I told the story of Brer Rabbit and drew Brer Rabbit sitting tall with his front leg out in front of him and his head looking straight out. In the end, one could find the capitol letter R in the shape of his body, as is the custom for teaching the alphabet in Waldorf education. In the background, Brer Fox is peeking out at him from behind a tree in the distance with lots of grass, a blue sky and a golden sun spreading light over the whole scene. An abandoned hoe is lying in the grass near Brer rabbit. That is the end of day one teaching the letter R. The next day, I ask the children what their guess is as to what letter it is and after all have had a turn, I tell them that they are all correct and we talk about what sound R makes and what other words we know that begin with R. Then I show them how to make an R: One line straight down, from heaven to earth, and another line that begins again at the top, curves around like making half a circle to the middle of the straight line and then kicks out in a straight diagonal line the rest of the length of the first line. Most of them already know the alphabet, but it doesn't mean that they "draw" their letters correctly. Then we "color" a picture of the letter R in their main lesson books next to the picture of the Rabbit. It all went very well, despite a lot of chitter chatter, and I ended with a lot of time left before snack. So, we attempted to do a play of the story. That did not even get started because none of them could focus enough to follow directions, so the main teacher had them all return to there seats to practice their numbers. It had been a hard Friday already with similar failures to follow directions.

And the most touching part of the day, all the children gave me pictures they had drawn for me. I gave each of them a hug. I left thinking about what I could do to stay in touch with them periodically throughout the year.

What's next? Well, I found out that I don't want to be a grades teacher right now. Maybe one day in the future. And, while I don't have extensive experience with early childhood (i.e. kindergarten,) I find myself drawn in that direction. I already knew I was interested in early childhood, but I didn't want to rule out teaching the grades until I had a little more experience.

When I walk into a Waldorf kindergarten, I feel at home. I love the consistency, the ritual, and the rhythm it offers. The sameness, the container, the holding of the child exactly as she needs to be to know that the world is safe and good and whole.