Way Back Wednesday

This is us in August, 1992. We look soooooo good.

Stop laughing. Right now. I mean it. Stand up and wipe your eyes. Are you done?

We are standing in front of the first school I ever taught in....McKinley School. Our mascot was the Redcoats. And it was the greatest feeling....and I looked good. That was some awesome hair I was sporting....and how about Big Guy's socks? He was hot. Back off, ladies...he's all mine. Oh yeah, College Girl was 2.


I was hired to teach 7th and 8th grade. Pretty scary...for the kids, that is. I had no absolute clue what I was doing but they didn't know that....well, at least that is what I am going with....if any of you want to argue...I'll see you in detention.



This was the greatest school building....it smelled so good. You know that school smell--it's the best smell. And that new book smell...mmmm...love it. A superintendent laughed at me one day when I cracked open a new book inhaled deeply and came up smiling. What????

Anyway, this building had 3 floors and lots of stairs. Kids all over it because we had too many kids for the space we had. My average class size was 30 with my largest class being 36. I loved every minute of it....well there was that one time...um, I'll save that for another day.

Isn't it gorgeous? My room was on the third floor clear to the right. When I stood in my room and looked out, I could see the most wonderful little town full of very special people.

I could also open my windows. Not everybody in the building could open their windows....as you can see there was one air conditioner for the office. Remember heat schedule? Ahhh, those were the good ol' days.


Here is College Girl sitting in one of the many desks my room had in it. Aren't those floors beautiful? I miss wood floors in my classroom. I don't miss chalkboards. Fingernails on chalkboards? Ew.

And that is a typewriter in that back corner...and I used it. A lot. Crazy isn't it...that was only 17 years ago. Now I have a computer cart with 10 laptops on it in my room. Look at those desks in rows....I actually had black X's on the floor so they would know where the desk was supposed to be. I am not anal. Really, I am not.

This last picture is kind of sad to see. This is the gym and it burned down in 2004 (I think that is the year....may have to print a correction...kind of like our local newspaper does daily)--and I mean it BURNED down. It was an incredible sight to see. The windows melted. A lot of stuff went down in that gym....volleyball matches, basketball games, junior high dances....good memories.

When I see these pictures I am reminded of those first kids I taught....those kids are grown ups now with jobs and kids and lives and it is completely utterly incredibly amazing to me that I get to say....

I was her teacher. I was his teacher.

Lucky me.