fourth grade

on friday i visited the fourth grade at the school where my sister teaches in harlem.  i was only there for two hours, but i offer the following analysis:

1. in fourth grade there are a LOT of rules.  you have to sit and be VERY quiet.  i didn't even think they were being loud, but all of a sudden a teacher would say "boys and girls, i hear noise!" and everyone would become super silent.  this would not be possible in high school.

you also have to walk down the hall in two lines, boys in one and girls in the other, standing next to each other and in reverse height order.  ms. L says "walk to the exit sign and stop," and silently they do it.  then ms. L says "continue to the double doors and stop."  after probably eight "walk and stop"s, we arrived at the computer lab.  whew.  it kind of stressed me out.

2. it was friday, so it was time to award the star student of the week!  this week is was frank who won.  everyone crowded around and ms. L announced that frank was the student of the week, and it is only the third week of school, so this is a BIG DEAL.  ms. L said, "frank always does his homework, is kind to his classmates, and is excited about school," and the look on frank's face was like he had won the lottery.  pure joy.  all the other kids crowded around to look at the certificate, and frank was beaming.  i can just imagine him running up to his mom and showing her, and then the certificate going on the refrigerator.  things are so much less complicated in fourth grade.  this made frank's week.  for how many people does something that small bring so much joy?

3. becky team teaches this class with another teacher named linda.  every week linda and becky write a report for each student about their behavior, homework, and they are doing academically, and the kids take it home to show their parents.  linda speaks fluent spanish, so she writes the reports in spanish for the families whose parents don't speak english (maybe five out of the twenty kids in the class).  i was struck, when i noticed this, about how much of a difference that must make for those parents - to have someone whom they can communicate with at their child's school.  for people who say that everyone should have to learn english if they want to immigrate to the us, i say: ideally, sure.  but for those who haven't yet - for those who have other things that have taken priority - i'm happy that there are lindas in the world to make one aspect of their lives easier.

4. best quotes from the kids:
"she's pretty."  (she would be ME.  woo hoo!)
from one kid to another, about me and becky, "they have the same nose and hair."  um, sort of.
one kid to my sister: "is her last name L_______, too?" "yes." "whoa - two ms. L_________s!!!!"

5. after school gets out, the teacher walks all the kids to the exit and watches them all find their parents, because yes - in some places in america the moms and little siblings show up outside the school to walk their kids home.  SO CUTE.  street vendors know that this is happening, so outside the school doors, amongst the moms and kids, there are men selling grilled corn on the cob with parmesan cheese, sno cones, and cotton candy.  it just felt like such an important thing, this school - such an important part of the neighborhood.  this was the place to BE at 2:58pm on a friday.  becky informed me that some kids have permission from their parents to walk home instead of waiting for a parent to pick them up - can you imagine that?  a nine year old walking home alone through the streets of new york?  new yorkers are TOUGH.  even mini new yorkers.