Mrs. Snow's First Grade Classroom

I have decided if I could retire...I would divide my time between playing with my grandsons and being a "room mother" in Ashley's classroom! After David and Ashley moved to Mansfield, Ashley begin looking for a new job in a school district that would be closer to home and boy did God find one for her! It is 3 minutes from her house to school...that is unheard of in the Dallas/Fort Worth area! The elementary is called Alice Ponder Elementary and Ashley is teaching 17 precious first graders...okay maybe they aren't precious ALL the time...but who is! My boss sweetly let me go for a few days before school started to help Ashley get her classroom ready!

As long as I can remember, I have loved working in a classroom! First, was my "make believe" classroom, which was in my parents garage. Dad so sweetly hung me a bulletin board and chalk board. I had a "teachers" desk and one student desk...which was enough room...since I was only able to talk one neighborhood kid into being in my class! However, I would like to go on record as saying that Kayla turned out to be the valedictorian of her High School and her mother told my mother years ago that she was pretty sure it was because I worked with Kayla every day! In the summer, "school" was held in the morning, while the garage was still "cool". Once fall would roll around, we would have "our school" as soon as I could get home from REAL school. Kayla was about 4 when I started working with her. I was in the 3rd grade.

At the same time, by second favorite thing to do was help my Mom in her classroom at church. Mom taught the 3rd grade for years and my job would be to get the board covered and put that cool corrugated border around the edge! When I got to middle school age, she would let me be her "co-teacher" during VBS! What wonderful memories I have of time spent studying and preparing for lessons with my Mom.

Then came the years of teaching my own Bible school class after Larry and I married. Now, I have to admit that my most favorite part was getting the class ready and making all the take homes, flipcharts, etc. I would spend hours cleaning the classroom (you know...I had to have every cabinet straight) and designing bulletin boards. Then I moved to "overseeing" the teachers resource room at Hillcrest! (Couldn't have done that without some helpers...like Sherri Luttrell...and so many others!)but it was then that I realized that my favorite part of it all is the supplies! I love art and school supplies. It was no secret growing up that my favorite part of school was getting ready for school...you know the trips to Wal-Mart with the school supply list clutched in your hand! Ahh...picking out the perfect school box, a fresh new box of unbroken crayons (especially when you got to get the "BIG PACK" with the sharper), new pencils, a new eraser, glue, a ruler...of course making sure all the colors matched and coordinated with the box!

So...for Ashley to ask me to help organize her room, put up bulletin boards, put fresh new workbooks in their desk, organize the "Book Nook", etc. It really isn't a sacrifice...though it is HARD work...it is like playing again...back in that garage on North 10th street.

Here are a few shots of Ashley's classroom...Snowville...with it's own Post Office, lovingly built by her Dad.