阅读理解Thefirstdayofschool

Ihavebeenteachingforseventeenyearsnow.ForthelastthreeyearsIhavebeenteachingthesecondgradeatWashingtonElementarySchool.MostofwhathappensonthefirstdayofschooleveryyearisnotnewformebecauseIhavebeendoingitfortoolong.ButIstillapproacheachnewschoolyeardifferently.

OnewaythateachyearisdifferentisthatIalwayshopethateachyear’snewstudentswillbedifferent.Ihopethatthisyear’sstudentswillbesmarter,betterbehaved,andmorereadytosettledownandstartactingasthoughtheyareinschoolandnotonvacation.Ialsohopethatthenewstudentswillnotcry,willhavetheirlunchmoney,andwillknowwhatbustheyaresupposedtotaketogethomeorwhethertheirparentswillbepickingthemup.

AnotherwayIhopenewschoolyearswillbedifferentisthatIhopeIwillbebetterprepared.IknowthatIhavestartedschoolyearsbefore,soIshouldbereadytohelpthestudentsorganizetheirsuppliesandputthemintheblueandredstorageboxesatthebackoftheroom.Ishouldbereadyforthechildrentogettiredandstarttofallasleepbytwoo’clockinthelongafternoon.Ishouldbereadytocheckthatthestudentscanwritetheirnamesandcanrecognizetheirnameswhentheyseethem.

ButIamalwayssurprisedatthebeginningofschool.Thisyear,forexample,Ihadtwenty-threenewstudents.Onthefirstday,sixofthemhadforgottentobringlunchmoneyanddidnothavelunchesoftheirown.Ihadtolendthemmoneysotheycouldeatinthecafeteria.Mostofthemknewhowtogetbackhome,butonelittleboy,Manfred,gotonthewrongbus,andIhadtopickhimupanddrivehimhome.Hecriedalltheway.

Iwasalsosurprisedthisyearwhenthreeofthestudentsdidnotseemtobeabletoread,andoneofthemwouldnotwritehername.Ihadgiventhemeasybookstoreadafterlunch,whileIwastryingtomakeupsomelistsofstudents’namesfortheoffice.Inoticedthatthreechildrenwerelookingatthepicturesinthebookbutnotatthewriting.Istoppedandaskedthemwhattheywerereading,buttheydidnotseemtoknow.Ihopethattheywerejustconfusedandafraidonthefirstdayofschoolandthattheywillbeabletoreadalongwiththeotherchildren.

Ingeneral,though,thefirstdayofschoolisanexcitingone,forthechildrenand