Treasures in My Teacher Pockets — Episode 2
Super Quick Boy
Today’s post is brought to you by the letters S, Q, and B.
I’m sure I’m dating myself, because I grew up before the era of a million networks and shows (and advertisers) competing for the preschool-kindergarten market. Waaaaay back in the early 70s we had the options of Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Captain Kangaroo, and Zoom on weekday TV. Does anyone else remember Sesame Street episodes beginning with the announcement like, “Today’s show is brought to you by the letters C and A and the number 8?” Maybe it still does, it’s been a while since I’ve tuned in. Weren’t those simpler times?
But I digress… Let’s time-travel forward a few decades to present-day so I can share today’s story with you. It begins with my effort to prevent all the treasures found in my pockets from becoming piles in the console of my car, on top of my dresser, or on top of the washer/dryer. I’ve been trying hard to get in the habit of emptying my pockets before I leave school for the day.
As I was beginning to pack up, I reached into the pocket of my jeans. (Can I digress again and mention how incredibly grateful I am to have a principal who is absolutely fine with his staff wearing jeans? Jeans passes have been held over teachers’ heads all over the United States for far too long. But that’s another post!) First, I pulled out the letter Q, and immediately thought “Q for quick!” Then came a tiny Lego, a piece of string, half of a broken fidget toy, and a plastic butterfly which was a precious trinket to one of my 5th graders who had recently earned treasure box. I’m sure she’s missing it already.
Last from that pocket: the letter B “B for boy!” Yes, Quick Boy, a perfect nickname for my autistic student who elopes at EVERY opportunity — he’d escaped five times to our courtyard and once down the hall that very day.
That thought reminded me that I’m exhausted. Partly from the repeated chases, but Tuesdays are also my earliest days. I’d been at school over 11 hours and was beyond ready to go home.
Reaching into my other pocket I felt something bumpy and rubbery. I pulled out a little tactile sensory disc, then a magnetic tile or two, and a purple plastic nut from a color/shape matching nuts and bolts fine motor activity my students love.
My hand moved to my back pocket and found a couple of visual schedule pieces and the letter S from an alphabet matching file folder game. “S for super,” I thought.
Super.
Quick.
Boy.
Yep, that’s it. That’s my little guy in a nutshell.
(Sigh…) I packed up my MacBook and charger, sliding them into my backpack. I knew I needed to work on an IEP for an upcoming meeting; at the same moment I acknowledged that the computer had less than a 1% chance of leaving my backpack that night.
As I turned out the lights and walked to the door, I went through my mental checklist… lanyard/ID? ☑️ keys/wallet? ☑️ backpack, lunchbox, and purse?☑️
My mind flickered over the errands on my list. Was there anything that couldn’t wait until tomorrow? The only truly urgent thing was to pick up more Clorox Wipes; thanks to COVID we’re going through them like crazy. Luckily I could cross that off the list because one of my kiddos’ parents surprised us with a big 3-pack today. Hallelujah. I’m so grateful for my families this year; they support our class in so many ways. I made a mental note to wear running shoes tomorrow and laughed out loud as I pulled out of the parking lot, thinking, “At least I’m getting my steps in.”
