Dear First Grade Teacher

 (This is a modified re-post of what I wrote last year at this time.)

Dear First Grade Teacher,

     Monday, August 23rd, will be a big day for you because that is the day you will meet my grandson Harrison.  

He will be excited to meet you, as will his mother.  

     I know this because I took her to school on her first day of school.

It is now her glorious, wonderful turn. Thank you God for ongoing, inherited, ancestral blessings.

     There are a few things that I would like you to know.

*He is very, very smart. 

This is not bias. This is fact.  By knowing this ahead of time, you will be able to enjoy it when he says “well, actually...”  

This usually prefaces a very polite correction.

Enjoy it. It can be great fun waiting to see where his thinking will lead. As adults we don’t always have to be right, do we? 

The smartest teachers I know, and I know quite a few, actually enjoy it when their students are right.  Just something to think about. 

One of my favorite teaching memories occurred when one of my high school students said,"No, that’s not right either”, after I answered one of his questions. 

That makes me  laugh thinking about it. 

I hope you are laughing reading about it.  

You are, aren’t you?

*He is very kind and generous.  He enjoys the company of others , and he will never intentionally hurt another’s feelings. His nature is inclusive, not exclusive.

He enjoys order, and he will follow the rules. 

You know there is a difference between a rule and a procedure.  Procedures are the way to go; they make all the cylinders click in a classroom. 

Rules are all after the fact and punitive. Rules become abstract- procedures build self-discipline. Again…just a thought.

*He is great with his hands, and he is very analytical- which we both know is a powerful combination.  He can take an advanced Star Wars Legos kit, labeled far beyond his age, study the illustrations, and assemble it completely- all without reading the instructions.

He also has a large collection of Pokemon cards, and his knowledge of various Animal Planet series will help you teach your other students about animals- especially your lessons on fish and the occasional river monster. 

I hope you will ask him about these hobbies and interests.

*He loves to fish with his Dad and his younger brother.  

He goes fishing often.  If he wants to talk to you or his classmates about his fishing experiences and prowess, please let him do so.

He DOES NOT exaggerate.  He ALWAYS tells the truth.

*He is an 'old soul' of the best kind. Allow that to grow unfettered. You will be amazed if you do.

     Oh- and one last thing.  

His mother and I like to ask questions.
  

You know- the usual-

“How was your day?” “Who did you sit by during lunch?” “Did you enjoy your lunch?” “Who did you play with on the playground today?”

     Please encourage all of your students to answer their mother’s and grandmother’s questions cheerfully.  That is such an important life skill, don’t you think?

     Good luck.  You are in for the greatest teaching year of your life.
 

                                        Sincerely,

                                        Ma- Do

PS.   Let me know if you need anything.  I am just seven hours away, and I can be there at a moment’s notice.

PSS. He gave me my grandmother name, and I will treasure it always.  In case you need to know, it is pronounced Ma (short a sound) and Do (long o sound- as in Just Do It!) His little brother calls me Do. 

I treasure that too.  Wait till you meet him!