A Trip Down Memory Lane

I had an idea. Now, if you know anything about me, you know right now this wasn't any small project. Two days later, and thanks to my amazing wife whom the entire project was turned over to, I now have a very neat bulletin board. It was a bit overwhelming to see my entire life plastered on a wall. But it was also very cool to sit and look at all the picture and have memories flood back to me. Thanks babe, you did a great job.


I am also showing my elementary class pictures here. I found these in our copy room and knew that I needed to scan them so I would have a copy. Trying to find these pictures again would be near impossible. So enjoy my elementary years (in reverse). I have copied and pasted the narrative I wrote for a wiki we made for the parents of upper grade students. Click HERE to see the page on the original site.

My last year in elementary school was spent with Miss Zwahlen (she is currently still teaching and I see her all the time). This was the year I remember doing many things I currently do with my 6th grade classes. We had a bank system, read books by Gordon Korman (No Coins, Please! was one of my very favorites and I usually read it to my students), and sat in table groups most of the time. We did amazing art projects and did a fun activity where we each sent 10 letters to other 6th grades around the county to see which student could get the most responses. I remember that almost ALL of my letters were returned as undeliverable. That was depressing. Oh well. What a great way to end the elementary experience.

5th grade was one of my most favorite years in elementary school. Mrs. Carol Durrant was my teacher. That was an awesome year. We had a pond in the middle of the room, fish tanks around the edges, and lots of books to read. We did an awesome ancient Egypt activity where we made headpieces, jewelry, and other items including an Egyptian outfit. Then on the designated day, students and teachers (4th,5h, and 6th) dressed up and spent the day doing tons of activities. I also remember from this year reading several books with our teacher. It seemed every bookorder she would buy everyone a book and we would read along with her. I remember reading White Fang, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Julie of the Wolves, and others. We also kept journals everyday. I loved 5th grade.
In 4th grade, I had my first male teacher. Mr. Bruce Nelson. This was the year that I stopped being bullied. I was bullied starting in about 3rd grade. Everyday classmates would chase me, hit me, tease me, and call me names. Towards the end of the year, one of the major bullies pushed me too far. We had a HUGE fistfight. I gave him a black eye and a sore face. The next day he sent a peace delegation (some of his buddies) to tell me that he wanted to talk to me. When I got there he told me he wanted to be friends and that he was sorry. For that point forward I was rarely picked on or bullied. While fighting is NOT the solution, in this one instance it worked. I also remember that in 4th grade the school got their first computer lab. We had 25 or so TRS-80s made by Radio Shack. (I have one in my classroom.) I thought they were the coolest things ever made. We were able to type out stories and print them out. The computers printed everything in capital letters and the games we were able to play were very basic, but it was a computer and it was neat.

Mrs. Olive Anderson was my 3rd grade teacher. I remember her for the musical we did. We worked for weeks and weeks to learn our parts, make sets, color program covers, and memorize songs. We preformed Disney's Bambi. I wanted to be Bambi or the Owl so bad. But it wasn't meant to be. Instead I had 2 lines and was the Stag (Bambi's dad). I was very disappointed. I think it was because I was so tall and big. I do, however, remember during one rehearsal we were practicing a song where Bambi gets up for the first time. The student stood up and then passed out cold, landing on top of another student who wasn't paying attention. It was quite funny, at least I remember it being funny.

In 2nd grade I was taught my Mrs. Pat Quarnberg. I loved being up in the loft or under it watching the fish. I remember reading groups and I also remember enjoying listening to her read James and Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. I also have a vivid memory of a event that happened that got me into a lot of trouble. Being a big kid for my age, I was able to do things other kids in the class couldn't. One day at recess (back then we had a morning recess, long lunch recess, and an afternoon recess- I don't know how we had time to actually learn anything!) I was swinging classmates around by their ankles. They loved it and I thought it was fun- and it was until I was swinging a girl and she came around and smacked heads with a boy who was watching. The sound they made when they hit heads was terrible. I felt SO bad. Both were fine, and needless to say I don't swing people around by their feet anymore! I also remember that if we got 100% on our mad minute, we would get one of the little pumpkin candies with the little green stems. Every time I eat those I think of 2nd grade and the mad-minute! It is amazing what she could get us to do for a piece of candy.

1st grade I was taught my Ms. Krouse. I don't remember much of that year either. I do remember having to stand in the corner a lot because I was a talkative person. (I didn't mind though because I was able to watch my older brother play kickball out the window). I also remember being in the school's choir. I had to audition to be in it. One winter day, two students decided to stay outside and play in the snow after the bell rang. For a reason I can not explain or remember I stayed with them. I finally felt so guilty, I went back to class. Boy was I in trouble. I had to miss choir practice that day, but Ms. Krouse did let me go to the Book Mobile (the book Mobile was a library in a big truck that would come once a week so we could check out books. There was NO school library at that time!!!)

When I turned 6 I headed to Book Cliff Elementary School to attend kindergarten. Mrs. Judy Evans was my teacher. I had a pretty big class at the time (20 I think). I don't have many memories of that year. (No Picture was Available)


I hope you enjoyed this trip down MY memory lane.

Later...