Today I had more second graders in my classes. Mind you, as first graders, most of them did not come to me, and then some came only in groups of 4 or 5 last year. So basically, I'm teaching classes of 25 second graders this early in the year, only they haven't matured into second graders yet. We're talking about 6-7 year olds.
Second graders, in the beginning of the school year are quite challenging, particularly with me as their teacher. They fidget. Rule #1: Eyes on the speaker. Rule #2: Sit still. I can't count the times today that I said to only a few fidgety students, "Rule #2 says, "Sit still." Over and over and over. Then I got smart. "Pencils down. Stand up. Run in place until I say stop." What a relief. The fidgeting stopped.
Of course I had the typical answer to some of my questions by only a few children, "I don't know of a favorite place." But I was kind, coaxing and urging at this point in their writer's life. Jackpot! "The park!" Little do they know that by October, they'll have to do their own thinking.
I'm not complaining, mind you. I love every second of this experience.
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