Sometimes Teachers Forget What It's Like to Be Six and in Kindergarten
At breakfast time I sat at the table with my juice and cereal. When I saw my friend Ashley standing by the door, I carried my juice as I walked over to see her.
"Hi, Ashley," I said. "Hi, Suzie."
"Don't walk around with that juice," a loud voice said. I looked up and saw a very tall Miss Linda. Her eyes squinted down at me, and I quietly walked back to the table.
I know the rules. Sit down at the table when you eat and drink. But sometimes I forget. Miss Linda walks around the room and carries her juice. How come I have to sit down for breakfast and she doesn't?
At playtime I sat on the rug to play with the blocks 'I thought Billy and I could build a real cool house with a garage. I stood up and looked around the room for him.
"Hey, Billy," I shouted out to the other side of the room, "do you want to play with me?"
"Don't shout in the room,� a louder voice said. I looked up and saw a very tall Miss Linda. Her eyes squinted down at me, and I sat quietly on the rug. Miss Linda shouted at me for shouting.
I know the rules. Use your quiet voice inside.� But sometimes I forget. How come I can't shout in the room and she can?
When it was time to go outside, I put on-my coat and waited in line by the door. Someone in back of me pulled on my hood.
"I don't like that," I yelled as I turned around and pushed Michael.
"I'm telling," Michael yelled right in my ear.
"Don't push or pull on each other," a loud voice said. I looked up and saw a very tall Miss Linda. -Her eyes squinted down at me, and I waited quietly in line. Some kids were already going out the door. Miss Linda pulled on their coats to get them back in the room.
I know the rules. You can push your friends on the swings or pull your friends in wagons. But sometimes I forget. How come we can't pull on each other's coats and she can?
At naptime I lay on my cot with my book. My friend Ashley's cot is next to mine.
"You're my friend, right?' I whispered to Ashley. "Yeah, you can come to my house tomorrow,"
Ashley whispered back. "There's no talking at naptime," a loud voice said. I looked up and saw a very tall Miss Linda. Her eyes squinted down at me, and I lay quietly on my cot. Miss Linda talked to another teacher very loudly.
I know the rules. Be quiet at naptime. But some- times that's hard to do, especially when they talk so loud, and I forget. How come they can talk at naptime and we can't?
Then during naptime I started to cry. "Why are you crying, Suzie?" a soft voice asked. I looked up and saw Miss Linda kneeling next to me.
"I'm sad," I sobbed. "I wish I could be the teacher."
"Why?" asked Miss Linda. I was afraid to tell her why; she might yell again.
"Because then I could do things and not get in trouble," I finally said.
"What kind of things?" wondered Miss Linda.
"I could walk around the room with my breakfast, I could shout in the room, I could pull on the kids' coats, and I could talk loud at naptime."
"I see what you mean," replied Miss Linda. The next day Miss Linda sat at the table with us during breakfast. When someone shouted in the room, she quietly went over to them and reminded them of the rules. When it was time to go out, Miss Linda had us wait in line for a shorter time, and at naptime she and the other teachers talked quietly.
Young Children * September 1999
-Geri Johnson Chicago, Illinois
