I had a rug on the floor where my "students" would "sit". I had a bookshelf full of story books to read to my students. I had a desk, I had seating charts. The seating charts were filled with names of kids I went to school with, and when I ran out of names, I used the names of the local news anchors. Bill Balleza and Linda Lorelle were very good students.
I had a "log" where I wrote down the names of the kids who misbehaved that day.
I had a chalkboard hanging on my wall. I had a shoe box covered in wrapping paper filled with various colors of chalk and a fancy eraser. At some point, my mom hung a marker board on my wall with markers so that Lindsee could teach her classroom too.
One thing I remember very clearly is that when I was in elementary school, there was a season where our school building was undergoing alot of construction, so for much of the year, our classes were held in trailers. Because of this, our teachers all carried around Walkie-Talkies to communicate with each other throughout the day. Because of this, I begged my mom to buy me some Walkie-Talkies of my very own so that Lindsee and I could communicate with each other while we were teaching our class. My mom totally pulled through with some pink and purple walkie-talkies. Remember that Linds?
I just remember that I could play this for hours and hours and hours, even all by myself. It was my very most favorite way to imagine. I remember teaching lessons about the proper way to write a letter. In geography, I taught about the hemispheres and the equator. I did this fairly consistently through 4th grade.
When we moved into our new house in the 5th grade, I remember the movers bringing all my things into my new room, and they carried in the chalkboard and markerboard. I remember looking at them, and my little "I'm a big 5th grader now" self decided that I was going to put away my school supplies. This was going to be my "big girl" room and the markerboard and chalkboard were put it the closet. And that whole chapter just ended.
I think it was really wonderful of my mom to totally be on board with my whole imaginarium I had going on in my room. Between the rug and the markers and all the chalk and nailing markerboards and chalkboards in the wall and my whole "I need more folders for my seating charts!!", my mom never made me feel like I was being silly. She knew this was serious business and she allowed me to play as a child should be allowed to play. Thanks for that, Mom!
Did you have a favorite activity as a child? What did you like to play?
10 comments:
Playing school or having a pretend preschool for sure, but putting on a "show" was probably my absolute favorite!
You were so into it! I loved going to Basic Office and School Supply for your birthday and Christmas gifts. I would load up my basket with dry erase markers, clip boards, folders and stuff. You were very smart and imaginative. I loved it and I love you!
OHMYGOODNESS. I played school too! I had a chalk board, marker board, grader, gradebook, lesson planner and workbooks for my 'students'.
I tried school, but my brother was not a very good student and I got frustrated. After that when I wasn't walking around with my tape recorder recording absolutely everything, I was playing cowboys and indians. I was always the cowboy and my brother was the indian so I could have the guns and cool bandana.
This just took me way back. Oh, the chalk board, and marker board, and the log, seating charts! It's all so wonderful. Love, love, love it! We were playing school champions!
what a sweet memory--and so fun to "see" your mom doing that. makes me think i need to indulge the imagination of my kids. :)
--cristina
i so love this. i also remember some of our cccs teachers giving us some old worksheets that we used with our students as well. Also, very important to remember the doll crib that we turned upside down and turned into a teachers desk :)
I remember that when you were very little you could read upside down. You would hold your book on your lap with it facing your "class" so they could see the pictures. Then you would read to them and point things out. How on earth did you manage to get even cuter than you were back then? Dad
I wasn't too into playing school, but I did have an imaginary friend. Her name was Jamie. She went everywhere with me. My mom always checked on her, made sure she was buckled in the car, fixed her snacks, etc. She dissappeared some time after my sister was born :)
I did do things like play "Radio station" with my friend. It was KMRN and the theme was "less rock more talk". We would record ourselves for hours, record commericals, jingles, etc. So fun.
cuuuuute! it reminds me of how we lived not only in the same house but the same room. (just at different times) love you.
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