No, we will not giggle at 6-7 forever.

The kids (Maths 3-4).

Mrs B——- goes over how to study differences. For example:

860 tickets
minus
475 tickets

“Remember units!” she says.

I bet they will remember every single time, every single one of them, without fail or misstep.

They play a bingo game using a paper clip to spin. Our son ends up with a fellow 3rd grader, R———. She is at the opposite end of talkative, and does the game diligently. They play in silence. I work with other kids.

The parents (Maths 3-4…and every class).

When I say “I work with other kids,” what I mean is that I spend very little actual time with my own child or children in other teachers’ classrooms. I want to bring them into other teachers’ spaces with the traits necessary to thrive with learning. I am not there to hover over them. I am there to help build up the ecosystem they are part of and assist in small ways to move everyone forward.

That means sometimes helping explain directions or concepts. But it most often means sitting adjacent with students who are struggling to concentrate, to give attention, or to work on the thing they’re supposed to be working on. I can help with that by providing some accountability and what I hope is kind, patient, and relevant help. At the least, it helps them work in some way on the work and keeps them from distracting others who are trying to study.

Advising (10.30) : slow down!

Our 1st grader stays in the classroom with the 3rd and 4th graders. Ms C——- says with a big smile when I ask: “Of course he can stay!” He is a steady presence; a plus-one on the days we’re there, a familiar face as he zigzags between doing his own math and writing, studying maps, taking notes on endangered animals, and reading a book about Jane Goodall.

I head down to meet with our 3rd grader’s adviser, who is also his Math teacher (see above). I show her some of the drawings, maps, and Endangered Animals books he’s been writing and designing. She responds positively, says he’s doing great, and takes a look at samples from our home studies. She asks me about any concerns or things we’re working on.

“Probably the biggest thing now,” I say, “is getting him to sometimes slow down, to pay attention to what he’s doing, even when he gets it. I tell him we will take longer if he starts getting sloppy.”

Interchange : hallway.

Our paths converge as we head opposite directions; she was the 7th/8th grade Math teacher for both our Olders.

She inquires about our oldest, who is in her first year of college, and expresses delight at finding she’s doing well and enjoying life. It’s such a good reminder: it takes so little effort to invest in a minute of asking someone else how their children are doing and what they’re up to.

Interchange : classroom 3/4.

I spoke with a mom who shared that her son “…is a handful.” This is an observation I would not call false. See paragraph above concerning “working with other kids.” He is a sweet and smart kid in many ways, and I want pathways to be open to him in life, which means ensuring he is surrounded with teachers and support who can help hold him accountable, on task, and learning, while also supporting his self-esteem, self-confidence, and resilience.

Villages.

A different mom explained to me she’ll be gone Fridays from here on out. “Would you keep an eye on my daughter? Sometimes she needs lots of help.”

Of course, I said.

It’s hard to know sometimes the best way to help. But number one, I can show up. And number two, I can be actively engaged and involved. And number three, I can help every student succeed and feel good about their effort, to the extent I am able. They are good kids, whatever that means. I guess it means, to me, they all have the capacity to succeed and to find ways to feel good about learning. To build friendships and connections and character along the way, and ideally some academic growth as well.

The redrawing of boundaries.

New table sections were assigned today. Our son is now in between: N——- on the left (boy), E——— on the right (girl).

Non-academics.

She talked about the upcoming Points Party and options: Student Store and Game Day were the winners, after a raucous public vote. It was also decided the class could wear pajamas.

“Can we bring stuffies*?” a student asked.
”One,” Ms C said, “one.”
Someday, in looking at trends, memes, and in-things of different eras, perhaps this will be a helpful asterisk in some New Yorker writer’s non-fiction analysis of elementary school trends of the mid-2020s.

*stuffed animals

Speaking of things run into the ground:

“I’m 6-7…” says C—, a smiling 3rd grader, knowing there is no statement more guaranteed to get a reaction currently from his peers.

Our older kids don’t believe me when I say this meme has a timeline. “We do not live in a world where the numbers 6 and 7 will be forever linked together in infamy,” I say on repeat. “Someday, this current little giggle-groan fest of a meme will be a buried question in some trivia night event. These numbers have been used for thousands of years and they’ll continue to be used, someday again, in ways that don’t get a smirk or send entire classes into a tizzy every time they show up.”

They don’t believe me. Yet.

Yes, I am a nerd; a nerd who’s flavor is timeless.

They’re reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory aloud, together, and there’s response questions on the smart TV after each chapter. Midway down, a sentence catches my eyes:

“…that never lost it’s flavor?”

I raise my hand from the sidelines. “Umm, in the spirit of looking at grammar and spelling and adults sometimes making mistakes…is there a mistake on this page that jumps out?”

Ms C——- is a good sport and turns it into a class discussion. They go on the hunt, eagerly, and are bewildered until finally, A——-, a 3rd grade girl, catches it. Her pride is not disguised well, and it is adorable.

Academic minimalism.

I help L—-, a 4th grade girl, with her writing. She’s trying to come up with an example of onomatopoeia for her essay.

Ms C——- has to remind several that a line of writing is not a sentence.

Some students are having trouble recognizing that.

One thing I appreciate about Ms C—— is that she reads the room - she is quick to hand out compliments or acknowledge a student who’s done something well. But she’s equally apt to recognize when a student isn’t understanding something, and is protective of their dignity; choosing to address the class, if it’s relevant, as a generic question that many have, rather than calling the individual student out for not getting it. This is big, and the kind of thing that breeds character, confidence, and growth.

I appreciate this teacher and the way she helps uphold the dignity of those around her.