When it gets to be about this time of year I always think of my days in the classroom. I went to school long before the students. I had things to get ready. I made name tags. I put up bulletin boards. I got my plan book filled in with the activities.

When I was teaching kindergarten, I was aware that this was the student’s first experience with school. Often, I sent them a letter. In my letter I gave them something to bring to school on the first day. Sometimes it was a sheet to color. Other times I asked them to bring something to share – the requirement was that it had to fit into their pocket.

These ideas put them at ease. They had something else to think about other than this was their first day. It also provided a bulletin board idea. I got children’s work up that first day. You would be surprised how good it made them feel to see their work on the board.

My years were never the same. I taught to the students so the year progressed as they required. I recall a teacher telling me that I was making the process far too hard. She told me that every year on a certain date she did the same thing. I would not have survived in that mode. I needed the change as much as the students needed it.

I loved my job. The year that I went from sixth grade to kindergarten several of my students voiced their concern. They wondered how I was going to adapt. I assured them everything would be fine. I had taught kindergarten before.

Several of the girls volunteered to help me move my things. They stayed after they were dismissed for the year and carried things down to the kindergarten room. I think they had a good time doing it.

When I retired, I was teaching kindergarten. That was always my first love. I liked starting the work habits. It was much easier to give them a good start rather than having to correct bad habits.

Really, I enjoyed all of the levels that I taught. I spent several years in first grade. Six years in second grade. I finished out a year in third grade. Spent four years in fourth grade and another four in sixth grade. My last assignment was kindergarten. I spent more than ten years there.

I subscribed to several teacher magazines where I got many new ideas. I was always looking for new ways to do things. Oh, I followed the prescribed methods but found additional ways to make them interesting and challenging.

When asked what the students remembered the most, I was told that they liked the special days I planned. We cooked. We tested theories and made graphs. We did experiments and wrote about them. I taught them how to take notes. We used a real newspaper for our current events.

When the Berlin Wall came down, the students were curious about why it was so important. I had to teach a little history to explain it. When the Olympics rolled around, we fit in geography lessons to see where the athletes were from. We tracked the medals won by the various countries.

We participated in Book-It. That was a reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut. The students earned personal pan pizzas for reading books that I required. At the end of the year if all fulfilled their requirements, the class earned a pizza party. That day was special. I made sure my children read many books.

The Bookmobile was in service during the time that I taught. The staff always laughed when I showed up. They knew what author I was reading to the children because the children asked for those books. I really enjoyed reading to the children. I passed on some children’s classics which I am sure many of them would never have read on their own. My choice to read to them went back to my own days in school. I will never forget when Miss Clifford read “Bambi” to us.

I could go on and on. I had so many projects. Most of them were successful, but every once in a while, I marked in my plan book, “Do not do this again this way!”

When school bells ring, I remember! Although I do not miss the way things are today, I am glad I was there in the good old days!

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.