will be in the folders too so it’s a good idea to check them each day. Now, I know you’ve all seen the school’s prospectus, but are there any questions?’
She spent the next ten minutes answering the usual questions about sport, computers, lunches and so on. The children were in her line of vision, and Katie noticed that both talkative Julia and the biggest boy had problems sitting still. Little Hailey sat with huge, unblinking eyes fixed on her mother most of the time. We’ll have tears there when it’s time to say goodbye, thought Katie wryly. Good job she had plenty of tissues and a couple of good games at the ready.
To Katie’s surprise, however, it was Derek Cameron, the biggest boy, who howled when the parents left, not Hailey. The little girl didn’t speak for the rest of the morning, but she seemed quite happy to sit matching fish cards with three other girls.
At lunchtime, Katie watched as Alison took the children to the dining room, then headed towards the staffroom.
Mark was sitting at the table with a packet of sandwiches. ‘How was it?’ he asked.
Katie poured herself a large mug of coffee.
‘Intensive. We have Julia who never stops talking, Hailey who opened her mouth exactly once, and Derek who was inconsolable when his mum left and has spent the rest of the morning shoving people out of his way. And a few others too. How about you?’
He grinned. ‘I gather I’m the first male teacher they’ve ever had. No-one uttered a squeak uninvited.’
Katie laughed. ‘That’ll soon change!’
She opened her own lunch and sat chewing silently, thinking about her new class. First impressions could tell you a lot, and her first impression of this class was that in Derek and Hailey she had already identified two children who might need more than the ‘normal’ amount of attention. Mind you, nervousness might well be the reason for both Derek’s aggression and his terrible stutter, and Hailey’s shyness.
That afternoon she read
The Rainbow Fish
to the children before letting them choose if they wanted to play or draw. Only three children chose to draw, quiet little Hailey and two boys who were soon giggling away over the same sheet of paper. Even after less than a day, Katie could see that Hailey wasn’t a child who made friends quickly, but she couldn’t let her smallest pupil draw all by herself for the next half hour. In the end she sent Alison to sit with Hailey and went to oversee the others in the play area.
Ten minutes later the assistant was back at her side.
‘Hailey’s fallen asleep.’
Katie looked over to the craft table and grinned. Hailey was sprawled over her drawing, out for the count.
‘Tiring business, starting school. We’ll give her half an hour.’
At half past three she called the children together. Hailey was awake now, looking more than a little rumpled. Quickly, Katie straightened the child’s headband, a whiff of lemon reaching her nose. She smiled round the group.
‘Well done, everyone. That was a very good first day at school. We’ll finish with a song now, and then the bus people can go with Alison, and Graeme and Hailey, you stay with me until your mums or dads pick you up.’
Most of the children knew ‘I’m a Little Fish’, which fitted in well with the first term’s theme of The Ocean. Katie led them through it twice, noticing in amusement that Julia sang the loudest and Hailey didn’t open her mouth. Trends had been set already. The children gathered round to say goodbye, and Katie realised that exhausted or not, this was definitely what she wanted to do in life. Teach little kids. She waved the bus people off before taking Graeme and Hailey out to the car park, where Graeme’s dad was already waiting.
Hailey’s face was bleak as she watched Graeme running to his father, and Katie patted the little girl’s shoulder.
‘Don’t worry, your mum’ll soon be here too.’
The little girl looked up with startled eyes. ‘My
mum’ll
soon
She spent the next ten minutes answering the usual questions about sport, computers, lunches and so on. The children were in her line of vision, and Katie noticed that both talkative Julia and the biggest boy had problems sitting still. Little Hailey sat with huge, unblinking eyes fixed on her mother most of the time. We’ll have tears there when it’s time to say goodbye, thought Katie wryly. Good job she had plenty of tissues and a couple of good games at the ready.
To Katie’s surprise, however, it was Derek Cameron, the biggest boy, who howled when the parents left, not Hailey. The little girl didn’t speak for the rest of the morning, but she seemed quite happy to sit matching fish cards with three other girls.
At lunchtime, Katie watched as Alison took the children to the dining room, then headed towards the staffroom.
Mark was sitting at the table with a packet of sandwiches. ‘How was it?’ he asked.
Katie poured herself a large mug of coffee.
‘Intensive. We have Julia who never stops talking, Hailey who opened her mouth exactly once, and Derek who was inconsolable when his mum left and has spent the rest of the morning shoving people out of his way. And a few others too. How about you?’
He grinned. ‘I gather I’m the first male teacher they’ve ever had. No-one uttered a squeak uninvited.’
Katie laughed. ‘That’ll soon change!’
She opened her own lunch and sat chewing silently, thinking about her new class. First impressions could tell you a lot, and her first impression of this class was that in Derek and Hailey she had already identified two children who might need more than the ‘normal’ amount of attention. Mind you, nervousness might well be the reason for both Derek’s aggression and his terrible stutter, and Hailey’s shyness.
That afternoon she read
The Rainbow Fish
to the children before letting them choose if they wanted to play or draw. Only three children chose to draw, quiet little Hailey and two boys who were soon giggling away over the same sheet of paper. Even after less than a day, Katie could see that Hailey wasn’t a child who made friends quickly, but she couldn’t let her smallest pupil draw all by herself for the next half hour. In the end she sent Alison to sit with Hailey and went to oversee the others in the play area.
Ten minutes later the assistant was back at her side.
‘Hailey’s fallen asleep.’
Katie looked over to the craft table and grinned. Hailey was sprawled over her drawing, out for the count.
‘Tiring business, starting school. We’ll give her half an hour.’
At half past three she called the children together. Hailey was awake now, looking more than a little rumpled. Quickly, Katie straightened the child’s headband, a whiff of lemon reaching her nose. She smiled round the group.
‘Well done, everyone. That was a very good first day at school. We’ll finish with a song now, and then the bus people can go with Alison, and Graeme and Hailey, you stay with me until your mums or dads pick you up.’
Most of the children knew ‘I’m a Little Fish’, which fitted in well with the first term’s theme of The Ocean. Katie led them through it twice, noticing in amusement that Julia sang the loudest and Hailey didn’t open her mouth. Trends had been set already. The children gathered round to say goodbye, and Katie realised that exhausted or not, this was definitely what she wanted to do in life. Teach little kids. She waved the bus people off before taking Graeme and Hailey out to the car park, where Graeme’s dad was already waiting.
Hailey’s face was bleak as she watched Graeme running to his father, and Katie patted the little girl’s shoulder.
‘Don’t worry, your mum’ll soon be here too.’
The little girl looked up with startled eyes. ‘My
mum’ll
soon
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