Two for the Price of One

We have a new principal this year....and she is real.  And good.  Real good.  One must understand that as a paraprofessional....long word for aide.....I am at the bottom of the Educational Totem Pole.  The bottom is okay with me....because it means I get to be with kids all day and go home at 4:00 with no worries. 

The prinicipal is at the top.  She also gets to be with kids all day...but she has to worry about all the children as well as satisfy the parents of those 1000 children.... and the staff of about 100 (98 of those women) has to be kept in line and catered to......so that has to equal a lot of worries.  But our new principal is first and foremost an advocate for children and I love that about her. 

Today Mrs. Principal was in the staff lunch room while I was and she shared a story with me.......about me. 

Setting: Mrs. Principal was standing in the front hall by the entrance door; I was coming in from car rider duty; and a young boy passing me had seen me.

Him:  Hey, I know her!  She goes to my school!

Principal:  Her?  That's Mrs. Hackney.

Him:  I know....she goes to my SCHOOL!

I love that she sees the sweet innocence of their world...

and that she took the time to relay the story to me.

And then a conversation between me

 and the line leader leaving music today. 

 I'm changing the name to protect the innocent.

Me:  What's your name?

Him:  George.

Me:  What's your last name?

Him:  George Louis Smith, the THIRD.

Me:  Oh.  The Third.  What does your Daddy go by?

Him:  Well, he goes by the Montessori school,

 except today... he's on a trip.

Me:  (smile, warm heart, love my job)

***************

Have you heard of the 5 Rule?

If they're 5 years old, you have 5 minutes of their attention (if that)

and their world is 5 feet around them at any given moment.

So I can see where they look up and see me in the hall and remember my face......and make a connection that I go to their school.....but haven't quite made the connection that they are in the same place.  Their world will get bigger soon enough but I love that for now it's rather small....they're rather innocent....and I'm part of their world.  Well, as long as I'm within 5 feet of them.