Kozol Journal

Alan Shawn Feinstein elementary school is located on one of the more well known streets of  Providence, Broad street. Looking just down the street there are busy intersections, dollar stores and a McDonalds. Right in the middle of all of this is the school. The building is made from dark red bricks and I found it difficult to find the main entrance. Eventually I came to a big metal door and rang the buzzard. I was surprised when nobody asked me who I was and simply unlocked the door...maybe I don’t come off as intimidating, being a young woman with a had bookbag on. I was greeted by nobody at the door and walked into the office. After being directed to my classroom I walked down the halls to see everything was painted mint green, and if I’m being honest the lack of posters on the walls or decorations made me question whether I was truly walking in the right direction of the kindergarten hall.

When I walked into the class of room 107, I saw a class of roughly 25 students sitting on a carpet and two adults; the teachers assistant and, of course, the teacher. I sat down right between two students as the teacher began to write the daily message on the whiteboard. The classroom rules were posted as such:

Sit with your hands in your lap

Eyes on whoever is talking

Sit criss cross

Don’t talk when others are talking.

I know that the rules are important for the students to become accustomed to the expectations of students, but I can’t help but feel like they are too strict for 5 year olds.

“Can you sit next to me?” asks an excited little girl with curly brown hair and green eyes. I had almost forgotten how small kindergarteners are. I sat next to her and noticed a few students speaking to each other in spanish before the teacher got them to quiet down. The setting reminded me very much of my own kindergarten classroom. There was also a designated time to use the bathroom and get drinks as a group. When all of the kids were lined up and quiet, we made our way through the hall, with one of the students having the honor of being the door-holder. As we walked through the hall I noticed a teacher from another classroom encouraging the 107 students for being such good listeners.

My first day was truly fun and it was great to be reminded of how cute and funny 5-year-olds (some of them six, and trust me they’ll tell you if they are older) can be.