Do you remember your first day of first grade? Do you remember anything about first grade? What are your earliest memories of grade school (not kindergarten)?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Answers

I remember my mother walking me into my classroom, me thinking it looked nice with high ceilings and lots of natural light. But I was anxious as hell until my mother pointed out the hippity-hops lined up in the back and for some reason that made everything all right and I finally relaxed. A hippity-hop, for those who don't know, is a big air-filled rubber ball with a ring-shaped handle. You sit on the ball, hang on to the handle, and hop around across the floor on it. Lots of wild fun for kids. :-)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I absolutely couldn't wait to go to school. I think I packed my backpack probably in early July. I couldn't believe all the kids around me on the first day who were bawling when their moms left. I remember our teacher made me read a book on chickens to 2 little boys in my class who were hysterical. (I had learned to read a little in kindergarten). It made me mad because boys were gross.

The only time I got scared was when my teacher asked me if I was related to my older brother. He had been in her class and was a total little shit. When she found out I was his sister she spent 5 minutes telling me how horrible he had been and how I'd better be different. This woman was probably around 65 years old, had been teaching forever and positively HATED kids. It was amazing she had stuck with it for as long as she did. I spent so much time in the corner during first grade it was unreal. I was in trouble a lot b/c I was bored. There were other kids who didn't even know the alphabet and we all had to go at the same pace. (which ended up being a good thing b/c apparently I had some sort of confusion with Bs and Ds and it cleared that all up).

I really have lots of memories of grade school. I remember specific assignments and even stories that our teachers told us. It's amazing how impressionable kids that age are.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Ms. Torrez was my first grade teacher. I remember trying to impress her by counting to twenty in Spanish.

She made a HUGE impact on me though, because she was the first feminist I ever met. During recess, two other girls and I would play Happy Days with a cute boy named Brian Rudolph, who was Fonzie. He would snap his fingers, and then we would run over to him and smooch him.

My teacher saw this, sent Brian on his way, and then told all three of us to NEVER run to a man when he snaps his fingers or whistles.

I wonder if the other girls remember this.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

First grade was a bait and switch. It was also a long time ago. (circa 1956).

Kindergarden was all fun and games on half day sessions. When we started first grade we knew the party was over.

I went to Catholic school, and it was taught by strict nuns. The order was the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. My first grade teacher was Sister John Merriam. She stood about 4' 10". I think she had eyes in the back of her head. She missed nothing. I still remember her. (very fondly)

Looking back, I would have to say this about my grade school years. We broke a lot of rules, we were sometimes caught, we learned a lot, and we had a lot of fun.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I remember hoppity hops. The best ones were the ones with animal heads vs just the round handle. The heads had hand grips and felt a little more stable.

In 1971, kindergarten WAS real school, at least for me. My teacher was horrible and did crap like tell me I had to draw the sky in the same direction and told this runny-nosed brat, Jason, to help me do it. Coming from a family of artists, I was outraged that I was being forced to draw in some middle-class-acceptable, paint-by-numbers way. When we learned to make tissue paper flowers, I struggled all class period and...finally! I made a passable rose. I held it to her and she scowled, balled it up and said, "I know you can do better than THAT, Claudia."

First grade was better. Great teacher, Mrs. Harding, who let us play- act The Wizard of Oz. I got to play Dorothy and I hammed it up. We did the scene where she's locked in the witch's castle with the hourglass running out. I put on the waterworks and my best friend, Diane, was Toto, and she ran to me and licked my face and barked loud enough to disturb the other classes across the hall. We were a hit!

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

I remember arriving early, wondering where to sit, and wondering if Letty would automatically be my best friend again, even though I hadn't seen her all summer. It seems like I was wearing corduroys or jeans, even though my grandmother had bought me a little dress to wear. Our teacher, Mrs. Williams, was a short mean woman in a flowered dress with a face devoid of makeup and a tight gray bun on her head. I remember being confused about her name, unsure if it was Williams or Wilson. I remember Letty came in with some other girls and seemed glad to see me, and that was a relief.

That's all I remember about the very first day.

-- Anonymous, August 28, 2001