First Grade

First grade was interesting for a number of reasons. My teacher, Miss Josie Brooks was also one of my sunday school teachers. She and her sister, Miss Maggie, lived across the street from the Methodist church.

Our classroon was in the basement of the school. The principal's office and the cafeteria were also in the basement. I remember thinking it was funny that our windows looked out on the same level as the sidewalk. It looked odd to see the bottom half of people walking by.

I remember getting into trouble one day. Miss Josie was explaining about polio. I had a second cousin who had polio when he was a toddler and I guess I thought I knew more about it than she did because I was explaining to my table all about it. She called me down! She said it wasn't my turn to talk right then. I was humiliated. I was also mad! I knew someone with it and she wouldn't even let me explain how serious it was and that we all needed to take care not to get it ourselves. Well! Humph!........... :(

I remember still being upset when I got home but back then your parent always sided with the teacher and that was that. No more talking in class! I guess I learned my lesson because I don't recall ever being called down for talking in class after that day.

I still loved Miss Josie. She taught us how to properly pick up and carry our chairs up the stairs to the gym for assembly every Friday morning. She taught us how to read, write, and how to do math, etc. Best of all she taught us how to use the big round sink in the cafeteria! It was shaped like a huge birdbath. You stepped on a pipe that went all the way around the base to get the water to come down like a fountain. It came out all the way around so six or more children could wash their hands at the same time. There was Ivory soap and brown paper towels. I really liked that sink! I'd never seen anything like it before and thought it was beautiful when the water flowed out like that. I think I would have played in it all day if anyone would have allowed it!

Then we went through the lunch line and were given our trays. There were no choices. You ate what you were given or not. You ate what was served that day unless you brought your lunch and very few children did. Miss Josie ate with us every day. Each day she chose a different person to sit beside her. I remember once when they served lima beans the girl next to me didn't eat them. Miss Josie was sitting on her other side and asked her why she didn't eat them. The girl was frightened and didn't want to say anything but when she finally admitted that she didn't like them, I thought Miss Josie might tell her she had to eat them anyway... but she didn't. She told her that eating lima beans was an acquired taste and that she had not liked them herself until she was a teenager. She suggested that she try them again in a few years and see if she might have changed her mind. I loved that answer and loved Miss Josie even more for being so understanding.

At the end of the year Miss Josie took our class to her house for a picnic. We walked about three or four blocks to get there. I remember thinking it was like going to a birthday party because we had ice cream in paper cups and that there were tiny, flat, wooden spoons. At the end of the year she gave each of us a small gift. Mine was a tiny china doll.

When our class graduated from high school, Miss Josie gave each of us a card with a two dollar bill inside. I still have it and the china doll.

Miss Josie died just a couple of years ago. I've met a couple of teachers that remind me of her. They are the good ones who are natural born teachers!