All About First Graders

My sister Terry Michael retired this year after teaching first grade for 40 years. After student teaching in Morgantown, "Mrs.Michael" accepted her first teaching position at Easton school. When her husband Nelson graduated law school, she taught 37 first grade classes at Fountain primary school in Mineral County (WV). When asked about her years of teaching, Mrs. Michael said "Time goes by so fast when you're having fun".

Journaling:
"This is what I would tell a beginning first-grade teacher" (copyright: Terry Michael)

"On the first day of school, assure children that it's ok to be nervous--the teacher is too! Things always look better by the middle of September. Smile a lot, but be firm. Pay attention--try NOT to miss the signs of problems. Never leave the children alone-too much can happen. Teaching 1st grade is never boring! No two classes are the same. No two students are the same. No two teachers are the same. ALL kids need love and somebody to listen to them. Know when a child really NEEDS your attention, not just WANTS attention. Roll with the punches. Be prepared-plan for twice as much as you think you'll need. Make sure you have everything you need before you teach a lesson. Have LOTS of Band-Aids and tissues. Take LOTS of pictures. Eat lunch with the other teachers. Share your problems and successes! Always have good things to say about the children-we all need praise! Prayer helps!! RELAX and ENJOY and SMILE."

Photos c1977 and 2010

Scrapbook layout modeled after Stacy Cohen's "The Big Yellow Bus" in Creating Keepsakes Magazine, September 2010.

I can't accept credit for the journaling either. Terry's colleague's made a wonderful program about her for the retirement party. I borrowed this from my Mother to make this page.

Digital Elements (Erica Hernandez "Alphabet Border") (2 Peas in a Bucket Jen Allyson "Study Hall-Blank Cards')