First Students
The warmth of pink and orange sunbeams kept the morning chill away as Hope started her walk, glad to have enough time that there was no need to hurry. Back in Lamar, her morning trip to work had always been a time to clear her head and prepare for the day. She was constantly thinking about her students—she assumed all teachers did—but on her morning stroll, she finalized decisions, put together last minute preparations, and thought about how she should order her day. This morning, everything would be a bit chaotic at first as she met the students and parents and made sure the children were aware of her expectations. She imagined most of them had never had any formal schooling at all, and many of them would likely have difficulty sitting still for so many hours at a time. Planning frequent short breaks to run about the yard should help with that. Hopefully, the parents would be supportive, and most of them would come in to meet her on this first day. If the students understood that the parents supported her, hopefully, they would mind and follow the rules. Hope had high expectations for behavior in her classroom, and students who followed them were rewarded with more free time and more choices.
A few wagons and carts passed by as she made her way down the last street, and off in the distance, she could hear hammers and shouting as men worked to put up a new house. The town was growing, and before long, there might even be need for another school. Hope wondered what part she would play in all of it.
The school looked shiny and new from a distance. It was evident the men who had built it went to great lengths to make it as welcoming as possible. It was a symbol for the whole town; McKinney was making progress. Learning was important. Citizens here could afford to invest in their children’s future by allowing them to leave the farms and homesteads to brighten their minds.
Hope arrived at the school an hour before any of the children were expected. She went about her morning routine, sweeping up the floor, dusting off the desks, and opening the window. There was no need for a fire, even though it was slightly cooler outside than she’d expected. Still, she imagined the rest of spring before summer break would be hot in Texas, and she doubted she’d have need to test the fireplace until next fall, likely October or even November.
Once she was certain the classroom was in order, she went to the chalkboard, and with a deep breath, wrote her name in perfect cursive. She wondered how many of the students would actually be able to read it. Hopefully, at least a few. She then wrote three rules she wanted her class to know right from the beginning. One of the first things she would do is go over the expectations she had for her classroom.
It was still early. There weren’t enough items in the classroom to take up too much of her time, but before she had a chance to wonder what she might do with her extra few minutes, she heard voices coming from the front of the school and looked out the window. A little girl dressed in a long beige dress and a boy a half-head shorter than her came up the steps holding hands. Hope hurried out the door and around the corner to the formal entrance of the school. “Good morning,” she said. “Are you my first students?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the little girl said. When she opened her mouth, Hope spotted several missing teeth and thought she had to be six or seven at the oldest. She didn’t say more, only looked at her shoes, and Hope thought they must both be nervous. She wondered if the little boy was even old enough to attend.
“I’m Miss Tucker. Did your parents not accompany you this morning?”
“No, ma’am,” the girl replied, not lifting her eyes.
“Pa’s in the field,” the boy explained. “Ma’s gotta tend the baby.”
“I see. And what is your name?”
“Hank,” he said proudly. “This is my sister, Sally.”
“Well, Hank and Sally, it is very nice to meet you,” Hope said giving them both a reassuring nod. “And how old are you, Hank?”
“I’m six. Sally is eight.”
“Really?” Hope was shocked to hear that. He was so small, and his sister didn’t look like she could possibly be ready for third grade. “It is so very nice to have both of you in my class. Please, come in. You may sit together for now, but later I will be separating children into groups based on age. Don’t worry. We’re all in the same room.” She noticed Sally carried a small bundle, and she hoped that was their noontime meal, though it didn’t look large enough to feed two children. She made a note to bring more food the next day, in case some of the children didn’t have a proper meal.
The children sat on the first row, their feet not even reaching the floor, and Hope wondered if they were malnourished and that’s why they seemed so small. She didn’t have too much time to interact with them before she heard a wagon pull up outside and glanced out the window to see the next students were accompanied by their parents. Down the road, she saw several other carriages and thought it must be about time to ring the bell.
“I’m going to go greet our classmates. The two of you may wait here.” Hope gave the siblings another smile and headed back out to the front steps. Before long, she was caught in a whirlwind of handshaking and introductions. Most of the parents let her know how thankful they were that she’d arrived. They all seemed very supportive, though others showed it a little differently by threatening to box their children’s ears if they didn’t behave.
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