Personal History #1
"Tell about an experience with one of your children's teachers."
Hannah turned five one day after the cut off date to get into kindergarten that year. No matter how ready she was, the school would not bend the rules in the slightest to let her in. Not having the means to put her in preschool, I kept her home that year, but got her kindergarten work books to work on. At home, Hannah learned her ABCs and was soon putting letters together into words and sentences.
A year later, she was allowed into kindergarten, just before she turned six. During the first week of school, she wrote a story, and her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Wilson, was very impressed by it. She showed Hannah's story to the principal, and then to the district people and finally managed to do what I hadn't been able to do on my own - get Hannah moved up to first grade, where she would have been if she had been allowed to start kindergarten the year before. I will always feel grateful to Mrs Wilson for putting my daughter's abilities and education ahead of the rules and regulations the school district imposed.
The following year, John was put into her kindergarten class. While he, also, was able to read fluently on arriving in kindergarten, he had just turned five and his social skills and maturity level needed the benefit of kindergarten. Mrs. Wilson worked with him throughout the year, giving him books to read and other learning opportunities that were appropriate to his abilities. I think that she is my favorite of the teachers my children have had so far because of the attention she gave to them and their needs as individuals. Since then she went on to become a reading coordinator at that school, and then moved to another school as an assistant principal. I bumped into her last spring during the district Battle of the Books competition. She recognized me and remembered Hannah and John, but John didn't remember her!
Hannah turned five one day after the cut off date to get into kindergarten that year. No matter how ready she was, the school would not bend the rules in the slightest to let her in. Not having the means to put her in preschool, I kept her home that year, but got her kindergarten work books to work on. At home, Hannah learned her ABCs and was soon putting letters together into words and sentences.
A year later, she was allowed into kindergarten, just before she turned six. During the first week of school, she wrote a story, and her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Wilson, was very impressed by it. She showed Hannah's story to the principal, and then to the district people and finally managed to do what I hadn't been able to do on my own - get Hannah moved up to first grade, where she would have been if she had been allowed to start kindergarten the year before. I will always feel grateful to Mrs Wilson for putting my daughter's abilities and education ahead of the rules and regulations the school district imposed.
The following year, John was put into her kindergarten class. While he, also, was able to read fluently on arriving in kindergarten, he had just turned five and his social skills and maturity level needed the benefit of kindergarten. Mrs. Wilson worked with him throughout the year, giving him books to read and other learning opportunities that were appropriate to his abilities. I think that she is my favorite of the teachers my children have had so far because of the attention she gave to them and their needs as individuals. Since then she went on to become a reading coordinator at that school, and then moved to another school as an assistant principal. I bumped into her last spring during the district Battle of the Books competition. She recognized me and remembered Hannah and John, but John didn't remember her!
Thank goodness for great teachers. To think they wanted to keep Hannah back and now she is in honor classes!
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