Mari Broman's "The Column"

The first day of school in 5th grade

I used to look forward to the first day of school. It was a time filled with new things: new shoes, new clothes, new textbooks and new teachers. I remember being very excited to meet my new teacher and learning from her. (Since it was a small private school it was a good bet the teacher was female.) We all were outside the school building and lining up according to our respective grades. Soon one grade at a time entered the school. The air was filled with fresh clean smells, and newly painted, stained and polished wood, desks, walls everything seem so new. We each entered our assigned classrooms and a few steps behind was our teacher.

I looked up "No-No it can't be, not Miss Jean - she's mean, she's awful, she hates me, she hates all of us kids. What can I do, where can I go? I just can't hide for this entire school year. I'll never make it, I'll probably flunk 5th grade, there is no hope. I'm going home for lunch at least. I can escape there for a short time anyway. I'm doomed. It's not fair, we had her last year. Not another year…Help….." Much to my dismay, Miss Jean had replaced Miss Leslie at the last minute and she would be our teacher for another school year. After the first few days, I realized I couldn't runaway or escape. I just had to make the best of this school year if I was going to pass.

Within a week the new smells were gone and the new shoes had some scuffs and the new textbooks had lots of assigned homework to do. But Miss Jean was friendlier then I remember, she smiled more. She called me by name, and she seemed to like me. By the time a month went by I was learning new things and she actually showed us some knew ways to study and we did many fun exercises while learning our math and spelling and music.

There is also a possibility I had matured some in this year as that is what children and adults do as years go by. Soon it was Christmas and the year was half over, then it was May and we were looking forward to summer vacation. Miss Jean announced she would be transferred to another area and wouldn't be back again. I was actually saddened, as I had grown to like her and looked forward to her no nonsense style of teaching.

I think that year I learned that sometimes people come into our lives and no matter how resistant we are to them they are going to stay. So you may as well learn what you can and make the best of your situation. You can't runaway, you can't hide and you just have to accept the situation. Even in the 5th grade this was and important lesson…

The best to you all!!!!!!