Silicon Valley Moms Blog Discusses CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD GRADE KIND, by Phillip Done.
I don't recall my favorite elementary school teacher but I know had several who were unforgettable. There was Ms. Darnell for first grade, Ms. Kimball in second, Ms. Glover for third, Mrs. Mumpower for fourth and Mr. Hickman for fifth. I remember certain eccentricities about each one and I can still see their smiles and hear their voices. Ms. Darnell wore long shirts with big belts and had long brown barbie-esque hair that was wavy and shiny. She wore red lipstick and smiled a lot. Mr. Hickman, my first man teacher was a legend. I recall that he had favorites and I wasn't one of them, but he did give out tons of gummy bears. Each one of these people made a significant impact on my childhood and early learning.
Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind takes
the reader back to the elementary classroom, complete with bulletin
boards covered in colored paper and scalloped borders to the mysteries
of what kids keep and lose in their desks to the wonders of recess and
spelling errors -- be careful when you spell o-r-g-a-n-i-s-m.
I
relived my own elementary days, my favorite teachers, the special
dress-up days, picture day when they handed out those little combs!,
the celebrations of half-birthdays and lost teeth. I laughed out loud
about spelling errors! (Don't read that chapter in bed while your
husband is sleeping!) Done writes so glowingly and magically of his
experiences with children that it makes me jealous that I won't
experience all those crazy, annoying, special, and priceless moments
with my own children -- but, those moments are meant for teachers, they
are not meant for parents. Perhaps I need to go back and get a Masters
in Education and become a teacher? Done is clearly a master teacher and
this books shows he is also a master of the written word.
I think one of the many things that makes Done so successful as a teacher and a writer is that he is fully invested and committed to his work. In a world where you often hear more negative than positive this is a refreshing read, it makes you believe in teachers, our American school system, the wonder and joy of third grade and it makes you believe that with teachers like Phillip Done, every kid does have a chance at a lifetime of success. I wish I could guarantee that my own children would have teachers as committed and memorable as Done, or even the ones that I had.
Once again, Phillip Done goes directly to the head of the class with his latest year-long memoir about teaching third graders. A veteran teacher with over twenty years of experience in the classroom understands children on a level unparalleled by most. A heart-warming, hilarious and touching book, it should be required reading for all new teachers and parents.
I wish every kid at least one Mr. Done in their school years.
Done, it rhymes with Phone.
