Are you my primary teacher?

Today was my first day with my new primary class. The primary presidency decided that they wanted to switch things up a bit. They put me teaching the 5 and 6 year old kids. Wow, I went from teaching seven-year-olds, to five-year-olds. You wouldn't think that was a big jump, but it sure made a difference to me.

When I walked into sharing time with all of the primary kids, it was chaos. There were kids running around, kids clinging to their parents, and some very few kids sitting in their chairs quietly. I really wanted to be running around with the crazy kids, but decided to be a good, quiet teacher and sat in my "assigned" seat.

As my new kids filed into our row, they all looked at me a little wearily. They weren't to sure about this new teacher. Finally one little boy asked, "Are you my new primary teacher?"

I smiled as warmly and reassuringly as I could. I didn't want them scared of me...yet. I replied, "Yep!"

As we finally got through the chaos of sharing time, we were off to class. The kids were all pretty good, but obviously were still a little nervous about change. I had one fearless boy, however, that was up for anything. We shall call him Bobby.

Bobby raced out of sharing time and shouted for the rest of the class to follow him to the classroom. Bobby soon got lost in the rest of the children also trying to find their new classrooms. As he burst through the crowd he looked back and saw none of his classmates OR his new teacher.

I noticed Bobby up ahead and tried to coral the rest of the kids in his direction.

Finally getting into the classroom, I began the lesson. Throughout the lesson, Bobby and his fellow classmate we will call Fred, were constantly chatting. I gave them a couple of warnings and then finally told them that if I had to warn them once more I was going to separate them. Those boys quieted down and the warning was forgotten.

As class time finished up Bobby came up to me and asked a question, "Sister Post, what does separate mean?"

The light clicked on for me. I knelt down and tried to explain the word separate.

Yeah, I really need to get used to this little kid thing.