“Learning Together: Confessions of a First-Grade Renegade” by Kelly Wilson Mize
No kid in the history of civilization ever wanted to go to school more than I did. My little book bag was packed for months in advance of my fifth birthday. For reasons that I never completely understood though, I didn’t have the opportunity to go to kindergarten. So by the time first grade rolled around, I was beyond ready.
When I finally made it through those big glass doors, it was love at first sight. The smell of crayons, cafeteria rolls, and new tennis shoes warmly welcomed me to the place I had dreamed of going since the time I could remember my dreams…
First grade did not disappoint. It didn’t matter that my classroom was not in the main building, but in a portable makeshift out back. I wasn’t concerned with whether or not I had the coolest lunchbox or the coveted 64-count container of crayons. The experience was magical. In our little classroom we sang, we created, we played, we explored new ideas and experiences. For a six-year-old lover-of-learning in 1976 rural Alabama, it was my own personal heaven.
In first grade, my best friend’s name was Regina. In a room full of strangers, young or old, I always wonder what brings certain people together. Are we drawn to those who are like us, or do we become like those we spend time with? For whatever reason, Regina and I quickly bonded. We shared a love of books and music and solving made-up mysteries playing Charlie’s Angels on the playground.
One of my favorite parts of first grade was a simple ritual: Every morning after we arrived and unpacked the essentials, there would be a simple paragraph waiting to be copied from the big green chalkboard. The most diligent of us would get right to work using chubby primary pencils and beginning handwriting skills on wide-lined paper. One “journal entry” may have looked something like this.
Today is Thursday, September 9, 1976. It is the first week of school. We will work hard. We will make new friends and learn so much!
Those little paragraphs were positive affirmation before it was a thing.
In addition to academics, we were taught appropriate behavior, which constituted the all-important conduct grade on our report cards: obedience, helpfulness, teamwork. Regina and I were smart and “good,” if I do say so myself. We prided ourselves on being two of the highest achieving and best-behaved students in our first-grade class.
So it was very strange when one day, we decided not to be good: to rebel, to test our beautiful young teacher to see if her word was true.
In those days, it was not unusual for a teacher to leave the room for a quick errand. A student would be left “in charge” to write down the names of the defiant. On that particular day, the teacher explained that she was stepping out. She left familiar instructions: “Stay quiet and in your seats while I’m gone.”
I honestly don’t remember whose idea it was, but both Gina and I decided to test the limits. With no prior plan to do so, we both stood up. Two tiny figures popped off wooden chairs–up and right back down again, barely long enough to even be noticed. In defiance, plain and simple–bending the rules in a sneaky way. To see if we could get away with it.
Well…we did not get away with it.
The split second the teacher returned, the designated name-taker wasted no time in telling on us. She was ecstatic to relay the news. The joy she experienced by exposing our depravity radiated throughout the room…
“Kelly and Gina got out of their seeeeeats!” she whined using the most obnoxious, tattle-tale voice imaginable. Every single kid in the class was riveted, eyes wide and breath held, waiting to learn our fate.
Our teacher remained true to her word. She promptly escorted the trouble-makers outside the classroom, chastised us appropriately, and proceeded to spank us! In all honesty, the “spanking” was more like a strong tap on our backsides, but the shame we felt in disappointing our teacher stung more than any physical pain. The perfectly behaved girls had messed up, and we were both horrified.
The punishment was swiftly administered, but just as swiftly, we recovered. After our joint lapse in judgment, I’m pretty sure neither one of us ever got in trouble again for the rest of our school years.
It happened over forty years ago, but I still think about that day, for many reasons. Memories that stay with us for that long, must be meaningful in a deeper way than we realize.
Classroom procedures have changed a lot since the ’70s. Educators are no longer legally allowed to leave students unsupervised in a classroom or (in most cases) administer corporal punishment to students who break the rules. And that’s probably a good thing…
But in my case, I guess I’m glad my teacher followed through that day. I learned that actions have consequences. Otherwise, Gina and I might have turned out to be juvenile delinquents, lifelong rebels, or worse–we may have begun to believe ourselves to be “perfect,” and above correction. Learning a simple lesson in first grade is a lot easier than learning a much more difficult one later in life.
We, humans, whether six years old or fifty-six, do not like to be corrected, even in the politest way possible. It hurts our pride, embarrasses us, even angers us…but should it?
Countless studies have shown that lifelong learners are mentally healthier and more intelligent than their peers. Being willing to accept constructive criticism, and learn from it, and change in a positive way because of it–makes us better people. When we stop learning, where are we? In Proverbs 3 (The Message), Solomon writes:
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.“
I moved away from that school after 7th grade, but Gina and I kept in touch. We called, wrote letters, and visited each other over the years, always picking right up where we left off, no matter how long it had been.
But tragically, Gina died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in her early twenties. The world lost a great treasure. My first best friend never had a chance to get married, to have children, or to watch her children excitedly go to school for the first time. I was heartbroken to hear the news. Where would I be without the one who had stood by me that day in first grade, and throughout the years? Even though I will never see her again this side of heaven, I will never forget Gina. Her memory inspires in me sweet nostalgia, and the desire to be a better person. She is a part of who I am, one of the first parts. Together, we learned about numbers and words, friendship, and life–important concepts that are worthy of study. In honor of Gina, and in obedience to my God, I pray I can continue my education, even (and especially!) at my age. So many lessons in life are not easy, but I never want to be beyond instruction or above correction.
What if we, as adults, faced each new day the way we did in elementary school: surrounded by friends in a welcoming environment, listening intently, working hard and learning together? We just might recapture some of the joy of childhood, and experience more fulfillment in our everyday lives. Our adult chalkboard journals might look something like this:
Today is Thursday, October 24, 2019. Today we will work hard. We will make mistakes, but we will learn from each one. We will form beautiful relationships that transcend time.
There are constant opportunities for growth at every age and stage, and the most important lessons don’t happen in a classroom. Instead, they present themselves at unexpected moments. Are we open to absorb the wisdom all around us? Ready and waiting with a humble and teachable spirit for whatever lessons God has to teach us? No matter how old we grow, or how flawlessly astute we may vainly believe ourselves to have become–may we never, ever stop learning.
~ Written by Kelly Wilson Mize ~
Kelly Wilson Mize considers it a personal, God-given mission to encourage others with words. She is a wife, mother of two, librarian at Westminster Christian Academy, and freelance writer who has lived in the Huntsville area for over twenty years. Kelly has a master’s degree in elementary education and over a decade of teaching experience in both private and public schools. She also has a variety of published writing experiences including numerous articles and interviews, various curriculum projects, hundreds of devotions for both children and adults, and contributions to six books. Kelly’s credits include LifeWay Christian Resources, Focus on the Family, Adams Media, and Group Publishing. Check out Kelly’s website kellywilsonmize.com, find the books she has contributed to here, and follow her on Twitter @kellywilsonmize.
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