HAPPY HAPPY, MR. H., IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY

MY SIXTH GRADE TEACHER

My sixth grade teacher was a teacher-principal.

The grade school was the only school in the Shasta Union School 

District with one classroom per grade for kindergarten through sixth grace. The principal was the sixth grade teacher. He managed it well.

Mr. H. did some unusual things for back in the day. Art class was a Friday event. We learned various art forms such as yarn and paper crafts, still-life, shading, and drawing with perspective.

We sang in his class and learned the old songs of our country. Students took turns bringing flowers from home in vases for the flag corner. The Christmas program had lots of choral singing.

Mr. H. liked literature. The achievers got to read The Yearling, a coming of age story. I remember feeling honored when I got to read it as a reward for reaching a plateau in SRA. We wrote poetry.

Bird watching was a fun unit. We learned the native birds and went for walks around the school campus as Mr. H. identified the birds. He tested us by pointing to birds, and we wrote the names.

Mr. H. stressed grammar knowledge. He went after it by teaching the eight parts of speech in a sequence. I got the top score, which was a rare event for me. He gave us opportunities to write.

Sixth grade meant country reports. I was assigned Ecuador. But I was ill for a couple of weeks. At home I completed each component and sketched the report’s cover, flag, bird, and map.

Mr. H.'s birthday was every four years. He was born on February 29, leap day on leap year. 

photo by Andi Goldstein on Unsplash