When I grow up

"Boom. Boom. Boom" is what Joseph repeated every time a student walked by his desk during the Halloween parade. Hannah Montana, Gabriella from HSM, Rapunzel, a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder, and many other 'characters' made an appearance.
I watched with wonder as the students interacted with one another and the teacher. Attempting to take a class picture was comical as kids were karate chopping each other, trying on tiaras, and dancing around the room high on at least 2 lbs of candy. Spending time in the classroom taught me the following:
1) Being a 1st grade teacher takes a lot of patience.
2) Kids learn at an early age to bargain and trade for what they want most.
3) Calling a student by name makes them feel important. I learned this lesson as I watched the principal address each student by name during the parade.
4) Kids want to be accepted by their peers and teachers.
5) Lessons learned in a 1st grade classroom apply to people of all ages.