Let's hear it for tradition!

My introduction to American Education was in a traditional kindergarten right out of Ramona the Pest, a book I used to love to read out loud to my first graders. From the walk to school with sixth grade crossing guards, (think Henry Huggins), to the wake up fairy, it was at least my conception of a typical kindergarten experience. No one tried to teach us to read, but there was time for games, and learning our letters, and singing, and playing outside. I vividly remember a set of 26 white tubs filled with objects beginning with the 26 letters of the alphabet. I think I considered stealing a furry stuffed mouse from the "m " bin. I must not have, because I always get caught when I do something wrong. My school was set on a grassy lot with a large playground complete with a slide that looked like a castle. It was a city school, technically, but the demographic reflected my upper middle class neighborhood. The year was 1967 and the city had no idea what was ahead in the next few years. The only "crisis" I can remember was personal. My teacher, Mrs. North, had prepared a bulletin board with a telephone on it, and as we learned our phone number, she put our name on the board. Sadly, I was the last student in the class to learn my phone number. My mother finally taught me a little song to help me remember it, and I can still sing the song today. While I think this highly traditional start was good for me, I think the years to come gave me something that 12 years in this environment could not have given me. Things became very different just the next year when I went off to first grade. This will be the topic of my next blog--if something else doesn't grab my attention first.