Lindsay L. O'Connor

On Friday morning, each first grade class rotated through each second grade class for a few minutes so that the first graders could meet all the second grade teachers, see our classrooms, and hear what the current second graders had to say about second grade. Before our visitors arrived, we talked briefly about what kind of information to share and brainstormed some of the things we’d learned about this year. I explained that the purpose of the visit was to get the first graders excited about coming to second grade. My kids were all too willling to emphasize how “hard” and “very challenging” secnod grade is. Obviously, they loved being the big kids.

My “almost-third-graders” said several things that made me chuckle, but my favorite was from my brilliant, creative darling whom I quote so often. He has the same easy, relaxed manner of speaking as his father, which is an odd contrast to his active behavior. He wanted to share about our classroom library. As he spoke, he raised his hand up in the air, gesturing towards the bookshelves: “As you can see if you look back there, that’s our library with all our books that we read. [pause] There’s a few…a few easy books, but…[big thoughtful pause]…pretty much…if it’s hard, it’s back there.” The first grade teacher and I both chuckled and I said, mostly to her because she was the only other adult in the room, “Yes, we do have every hard book in the world back there.”

I am so happy that my out of control addiction to buying children’s books has not gone un-noticed or unappreciated by my students and thus has not been in vain!