School Room Walls

The halls of our building have sat still and motionless for sometime now.

It came as a relief when the first of the sun kissed adults entered the halls. Their relaxed and cheery faces graced my classroom shortly afterwards. They began to put up back to school decorations throughout the classroom. Including upon myself and the neighbouring walls.

After a few weeks the little ones showed up. They cried and threw things, one of my neighbouring walls was dented in the process. We came to know the new kids on the block and we each began to adore them for their own attributes.

The immediate stand outs are Richard, Emily, Hana and Scott. Richard was the trouble maker. Pulling girls hair, colouring on the walls and throwing toys. Emily was the cryer. Always wailing in protest of just being here or because Richard had antagonized her. Hanna was our budding artist, she would sit at the table and colour for hours if the teachers would let her. Then there was my favourite, Scott. He would grab arm fulls of books and come sit in the quiet corner between me and a neighbouring wall. He’d stay there all day if Ms. S would let him.

Over the next month, the children started to follow the classroom routine more easily. Richard continued causing trouble. Painting the walls and other wise doing everything he could think of to make things hard for Ms. S.

Lucky she had Ms. Y there to help her out. She seems to have a little more patience for Richard’s antics than Ms. S.

The second month of controlled chaos was wrapped up by its usual costume party. There were games and music. All the festivities that made the little humans smile with glee. Which was all wrapped up by a movie projected onto me for the children to watch.

The glee I felt, as I always do, when I saw the children watching me in adoration was indescribable. I am well aware they were all watching the movie. Not looking at me but it doesn’t change that special feeling I get when I see them all glancing up at me. Like I’m something important.

The foundation of the building began to groan as it grew colder outside.

The humans both big and small, came inside bundled up. Snow would melt off their clothes as they settled themselves for the day.

The decorations began to change as they usually did with each month. These ones were my favourite by far. Beautiful reds and greens, with reindeers and a fat man in a red suit.

This month wrapped up with another celebration. Presents changed hands and an adult in a red suit came down to visit the kids.

Richard couldn’t handle it, he cried and screamed. Wailing in fear as he clawed at the door, desperate to escape. Simultaneously changing roles with Emily, who couldn’t control herself. Chasing “Santa”, as they called him, around and pulling at his clothes and beard.

What a sight it was to see. But then as suddenly as it had begun, the chaos died down. Like it had months ago.

This silence only lasted a short time before the chaos started back up again.

All the kids had grown several inches in height since we last saw them. Some had even grown more in maturity, Emily wasn’t nearly as tearful as she was before the break. Scott had started to play with others rather than hide in the quiet corner. Hanna was also more interested in playing with her peers too. Richard stayed the same but less prone to throwing objects, to the great relief of us walls.

Over the next several months we watched the kids grow up more and more, as they always did.

Eventually the foundation began to creak again, as the weather outside grew warm. Which meant that our little class would be spending more time outside, rather than with us. Unless it happened to be a rainy day.

One rainy day as the school year was winding down, I got to watch the kids and teachers decorate us walls again. They dressed us in school colours with many banners and words of congratulations. The kids had posted so many hand made crafts and different forms of artwork on us walls. It was hard to see all the festivities.

On the last day of school all the students gathered together in another room. This time their parents filled our classroom. They primed their cameras as they waited for the graduation ceremony.

One by one the children were called upon. Crossing the stage as their parents took pictures and cheered them on. Then accepting their diploma, before going sit with their families. Each one bringing a new sense of joy as the families cried tears of joy and cheered for their mini graduate.

Causing me to reflect on the growth of each child over the course of these last 10 months.

Especially my favourites. Richard learned a little more self control with an outlet for his excess of energy. His parents enrolled him in karate, dance classes and baseball. Emily found her voice. Now able to stand up for herself and say “no” or tell peers “stop” when they exhibited unwanted behaviours. Hanna and Scott made many new friends. Discovering new interests like making music and enrolling in swimming lessons.

Soon the halls began to empty as they had many months ago and the chaos was no more. We would have to wait until the next school year to see what our class would look like.