Scenes from the First Day of School

Charged with introducing myself to the elementary students, I just told them my name and that I was from Florida. Those are all the facts they need: not where I went to university or what I studied or anything like that. Just Florida. The details spin out from there, how we grew in our back yard orange trees, grapefruit trees, a pineapple plant, bamboo and sabal palms. How it doesn't snow there, not ever, maybe once in fifty or a hundred years, and the Gulf never ices over.

Once they were allowed to talk back, it got interesting.

Small Child Called Ellie (to me): I like your shoes.
Actual Teacher called Steve: You've never told me you liked my shoes.
Ellie: You're not wearing Converse.
(Fact: Steve was wearing sandals with socks. Fact: half the kids were wearing crocs, so if my dress-evaluation had gone for the worse, I was prepared to fire back.)

Another small child called Jordyn announced she was going to seminary. She also asked me about my glasses and why I wore them. Later she put on glasses for math.

The high school teacher stood me outside a room where five of his students were finishing a geography test. One of those good old map tests where you draw in the capitals and everything. He handed me their geography survey book.

Dave: What do you know about Mexico?
Katie: ... A bit.
Dave: Okay. Go on in; when they finish their test, collect it, tell them what you know about Mexico, read these pages together (he showed me) and get them started on the worksheet. Off you go, then.

...Tell them what I know about Mexico?

Recess with the younger kids. Half of them were pirates, half unsuspecting citizens. I was the pet giant that belonged to the unsuspecting citizens. You know the kids are playing because they put on cockney accents -- all of them, down to the pre-schooler who just hangs out with us to learn numbers 0-20 and the sounds letters make.

The next morning I was up at four, reading about Mexico and checking the Pre-Algebra homework and touring the library for resources on the Supreme Court and reminding myself of APA formatting. It's what my high school chemistry teacher used to say about Statistics, that last one: every time I learn it, I think it's about the easiest thing in the world. Every...time.

My first two weeks are going to be a mess. I like it so far.