"I thought that was you. How are you doing, Mrs. Laffin?"
A young man on the other side of the McDonalds drive thru window smiled at me as he handed me my coffee. I went into memory-panic mode: This is former student. What's his name? What's his name? What's his name? Nothing.
We made a few more seconds of small talk, I commented that it was good to see him, and I drove away, still trying to figure out who he is.
I have been teaching fourth grade for eight years now. That means that my first students are now seniors in high school. Kids go through tremendous physical changes over eight years. The short, gap-toothed kid they were in the 4th grade is no indication of what they will look like when they 'grow up.'
I pride myself on really getting to know my students. They become "my kids" for the 180 days they are with me. It's hard to imagine a time when I will not know who they are.
But I guess there is.
A young man on the other side of the McDonalds drive thru window smiled at me as he handed me my coffee. I went into memory-panic mode: This is former student. What's his name? What's his name? What's his name? Nothing.
We made a few more seconds of small talk, I commented that it was good to see him, and I drove away, still trying to figure out who he is.
I have been teaching fourth grade for eight years now. That means that my first students are now seniors in high school. Kids go through tremendous physical changes over eight years. The short, gap-toothed kid they were in the 4th grade is no indication of what they will look like when they 'grow up.'
I pride myself on really getting to know my students. They become "my kids" for the 180 days they are with me. It's hard to imagine a time when I will not know who they are.
But I guess there is.
Oh I hate when that happens to me! Imagine twenty-one years of students!! Yikes! :) I love that he said something to you! What a nice way to get a cup of coffee!
ReplyDeleteIt will come to you. Sometimes that Roledex in our brain takes too long to find the right card. One day you'll be doing something and someone will mention they saw him at McDonald's and you'll be like, "Right!"
ReplyDeleteI'm still going back to my school to work with that one teacher. So far, I remember the students from previous years, but if I run into a parent, I've mostly forgotten whose child they parent. I feel the same way, wishing it weren't so.
ReplyDeleteThis happens to me all the time, and I find myself having to ask the former students who they are! The eyes usually give them away, but my first class of kids is out in the working world - suit and ties!
ReplyDeleteThis happens to me all the time, and I find myself having to ask the former students who they are! The eyes usually give them away, but my first class of kids is out in the working world - suit and ties!
ReplyDeleteThis is so hard when it happens. I have been teaching for sixteen years and the first years were with first graders and some of them were with multiple middle school classes in a year. The worst for me is when I can't even figure out which class they were in or which grade it was that I taught them in. Some (too many) of my former students are actually in their twenties now...yikes.
ReplyDeleteThis is so hard when it happens. I have been teaching for sixteen years and the first years were with first graders and some of them were with multiple middle school classes in a year. The worst for me is when I can't even figure out which class they were in or which grade it was that I taught them in. Some (too many) of my former students are actually in their twenties now...yikes.
ReplyDelete