Is that in the curriculum??

Writing curriculum has me reflecting on my own school days. Like the Biology teacher that said if you get into a bad car accident, you'll probably pee and poop your pants.  To this day, when I drive I pray to make it home safely so medics don't have to rescue me with pee and poop all over myself.

While I am sure my teachers put thought into developing quality curriculum,  that is not exactly what sticks out when looking back.

I remember...
-In nursery school ( back in the day before "Pre-K" existed) I would cry every single day for 2 years when my mom would drop me off. I also remember bringing along my 4 foot tall Yosemite Sam doll.
Yep, my mom allowed that. It was before the "no toys allowed at school" rules.  I also brought my imaginary friends until my teacher told me to stop it because the real kids needed space on the playground. She was quite the memorable teacher. She couldn't stand me crying for my mom so she would sit me alone in the church hall connected to the nursery school. When I told her I was going to call my mom, she told me to "go ahead and try."  Some people you just never forget!

-In Kindergarten, I remember washing out paint brushes in the bathroom while my friend Jason was peeing. He kissed me and I thought how disgusting that was because he was the kid that ate his shoes during recess. (Not a lot of supervision happening in that classroom.)

-First Grade my teacher Ms. Sasha had one leg that was shorter than the other and she wore one really high heeled shoe. I loved her and couldn't wait to be a grown up to wear heels like her!

-Second Grade there was a boy named Nicky that would pee his pants EVERY FREAKING day! He sat in front of me and the pee would drain towards me like a river and I had to keep my feet up on the back of his chair.  And some days he would poop his pants and the teacher would spray the room with Lysol. I still get sick when I think of that Lysol/Poop/Pee stench from that year. UGH

-Third Grade I had the best teacher EVER!! Mrs. Harrison influenced my life in so many ways. She encouraged my love of writing! I wrote a 7 page story about my Cabbage Patch doll and she raved about it like it was an award winning novel.  She also encouraged my love of reading and inspired me to become a teacher!

-Third Grade was also the year I met Cheyenne. He used to babysit my Cabbage Patch doll during recess.  We lost touch during middle school.  He became known as a "bad boy." When I heard he died our Junior year of high school, my heart broke. I will always remember his sweet smile. He was an excellent dollsitter too!

-Fourth Grade my teacher was Mrs. Thereaux.  We nicknamed her Thorox the OX. She was a colossal bitch. I don't remember learning anything that year other than being frightened out of my mind that she would call on me. COULD. NOT. STAND. HER!!

Fifth Grade-we went on a field trip to a colonial village. Loved it! Started my obsession with the Revolutionary War days.

6th Grade- I had a weird teacher that I cannot remember the name of. He was older and hated music. I remember liking Top 40 music just to spite him.

7th Grade- Fell in love with Mr. Raz the science teacher. He was adorable! And he taught us to cook hot dogs using aluminum foil and the sun.

8th grade- Mr. A. the History teacher.  He told us when we were adults we would be lucky to count our true friends on one hand.  At the time I thought he was crazy. I had way more than five true friends. Over the years, I have realized he is SO right. Friends are a blessing and if we have 5- we are abundantly blessed!

High School years blend together. But, some moments stand out. Like that crazy Biology teacher and...

-In History I remember Mr. M being my favorite. I learned some stuff about U.S. History, but mostly I remember him hooking me up with my Prom Date!

A lot has changed in the educational system over the past 30 years. Some things remain the same, like students will remember the stuff that makes an impression on them. I am just hoping to inspire my students in a positive way so that some day they don't look back and mention me in a blog post that contains stories about pee and poop.