The First Few Months

There are things in the first journal I remember very well and there are others I don’t really remember. Some are so clear that it seems like they just happened yesterday and some seem to be from the ancient past. I occasionally come across things I have completely forgotten about as well as a few things I would like to forget.

My journal entry of December 6, 1979, says that my principal came to my room that day and said my top reading group was going too fast. I pointed out that they were scoring very high on all of the assessments and he agreed but suggested I do more of the extended activities with them. I only vaguely remember this but remember thinking it odd that I could get complaints when my kids were doing too well. I later discovered that the 5th grade teachers didn’t want us reading things that they wanted to cover in 5th grade so we should slow our kids down. Hmmmm…I still find that very strange!

His comments were followed by a pre-observation conference, his observation of me teaching, and the follow up conference after the observation are all in the journal, too. It was all very positive and I still have the documents related to it.

A journal entry shortly after that talks about how busy we are and how I plan to go deer hunting that weekend. In those days I hunted with my neighbor, Charlie Shappel and a group of guys. It was always interesting if not productive. It was during those days that it began to dawn on me how important storytelling was to everyday life. Just talk to a deer hunter if you want to find out what I mean. We hunted two days that weekend and bagged three deer on Sunday. I hoped to go back out on Wednesday. I don’t recall if that ever happened and there is no entry related to it.

Not long after that I wrote about being excited after being asked to do a district wide inservice on using writing in the classroom. I was elated about the opportunity to help other teachers recognize the power of writing as a teaching/learning tool. The same day I wrote about how I had students write directions to their homes from school. Many didn’t even know how to start. After they wrote them we tried to follow them on a big map. I shared mine first and quickly realized it needed some revision, too. All in all it was a rewarding experience that emphasized the importance of being specific and including details in our writing.

The last entry of 1979 tells about how busy Becky is getting ready for Christmas and wrapping up some Better Homes and Gardens parties and craft sales. I also comment on all the stuff she wanted me to do.

I was a new elder in the church at the time and was undergoing the elder training. I enjoyed the experience and felt I learned a lot.