~and they called themselves "Jack and Janet"~

     I read to "the 22" yesterday from a book that I learned to read from as a first grader back in the good old days of Burrton Grade School, 1961.  I found a copy of it, plus the 3 other accompanying readers for the rest of first grade and second grade as well, several years back when I was a beginning teacher at Haven Grade School.  Someone was cleaning out an old reading room one day, now 37 years ago,  and several copies of those dearly beloved manuscripts,  the primers from my youth, were in a pile to be discarded.  Didn't take me long to ask if I could have them and that day after school I walked out the door with my own copies of "Jack and Janet", "Tip and Mitten", "Come Along", and "Up and Away". In all of the many moves that I have made since then, I never lost sight of them and always kept them safely tucked away.

     Now, as a sentimental old teacher, I'm so glad that I have them.

     I wasn't sure what story to read to my first-grade students at Olathe because there is not a bad story in any part of "Jack and Janet".  Those two kids lived a pretty good life, sometimes having minor trouble, but always ending up "ok" in the end.  The illustrations for each of the stories, like faded water colors in their appearance, are frozen in the era from which they were done.  When I look at them, I am really looking at myself and the wonderful times that I grew up in.  So I just opened up the book, thumbed through the pages, and settled on the story towards the back called "What About Willie?".

     The story of Willie is one of a little black and yellow calico cat that desperately is in search of a boy to love him.  Lucky for Willie, there is a boy in the story named Tommy who is equally desperate about finding a calico kitten.  There is a lot of action in the story, spine tingling if you will.  Willie gets caught out in a rainstorm and just when he thinks it will be impossible to find a home, he happens upon an open door and scurries in.  Of course that doesn't work out because he has left all kinds of muddy footprints on the floor and the lady who lives in the house shoos him out with a broom.  All's well that ends well as at the story's conclusion, Tommy and Willie do meet up and become best friends.

     As they sat on the floor around me, "the 22" listened pretty intently and I was glad for that.  As I read to them, I realized that no matter how old a story might be, children can still practice their reading skills and learn from it.  The story "What About Willie?", rather rudimentary in its basic nature, provided lots of opportunity for discussion and discuss it, we did.

"Who do you suppose Willie might be?" "What do you think might happen?"  (predicting)
"Did anything about this story remind you of something you have done or seen?" (making a text to self connection)
"Where did the story take place?" (acknowledging the setting)
"Who do we read about?"  (finding the main characters)
"Did this story remind you of another story you might have read?" (making a text to text connection)
"What happened because the kitten left muddy footprints on the lady's rug?" (understanding cause and effect)

     The times that I grew up in were so much different than life is today.  The passage of 53 years of time has brought so very many changes to the world of education and as I sit back and look at it, those changes have been monumental.  The first-grade classroom of the little girl I used to be had no modern technology in it.  There were no computers or smart boards, no I-pods or even a telephone from which the teacher could use to call the office or a parent.  There was just one teacher, dear and sainted Mrs. Hyla Bacon, and she took care of all 30 of us kids on her own.  No educational para came in to assist in reading group time and instead of going to "specials" each day, our teacher taught us art, music and p.e. within the classroom.  As I look back on it, I don't even think that Mrs. Bacon took a bathroom break.  Really.  I'm serious.  How could she have?  We were always with her.

     I'm thankful for all of the advances that we have seen in education in the half-century that has passed by us since the shy, tiny girl that I used to be was a little kid herself.  I'm glad that things come much easier now and literally, the world that I only had dreamed about being in existence way back then is now at the fingertips of anyone who wishes to learn more about it.  I appreciate the assistance of all the support teachers and staff that come in and out of my classroom each day.  Where would I be without their help?  In a "world of hurt", that's where.

     There's one more story that I want to read to them today, those 22 little people whom I love very much.  When the school day is done, I'll pack the book back up once more and take it home with me. As I shared that little piece of my life from long ago, I couldn't help but remember the teacher that taught me to read.  She gave me the foundation, the solid base that I needed, in order to be a lifelong reader and learner as well.  My hope is to do the same for all of the students in my care this year.  I owe that to Mrs. Bacon.  My sincere intent is to follow through and not just for some of my students, but for each and every one of them.

      And as for the future?  They must know how to read.

The little girl that I used to be and the grown woman that I am today says, "Thank you Mrs. Bacon.  You taught me how to read."