A Teacher's Reflections

In Part 2, I talked about language and words, and how the more words a child hears, the better s/he will do in school – in all subject areas.  I told my first-ever story, “The Peanut Man Story”, and how true teacher stories, ‘Jennie Stories’ have become beloved by children.

Part 3
Children like to be scared.  To be exact, they like the anticipation of being scared.  I think that might be why “The Bat Story” is a favorite.

The Bat Story

“It happened like this.”  When I was a little girl, I loved riding my bike. It was red. Every morning after breakfast I’d pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a brown paper bag and hop on my bike for a ride. I’d go to Ritter Park, stop in the Rose Garden, and then head up the long, windy road to Whitaker Hill. That was hard!  Then I’d ride back to the Rose Garden.  When the sky turned pink, and I knew it was time to go home.

One day, after riding my bike, I came home and rode my bike into the driveway.  I remembered what my mother told me,

“Jennie, be sure to put your bike into the garage and put the garage door down.  All the way down.”

Now, there were no garage door openers back then.  Nope.  There was a handle at the bottom of the door.  So, I had to reach way up and pull the door down. But, I had to be careful to hold the handle all the way down, otherwise the door would bounce back up, just a little.  I put my bike in the garage, pulled the garage door down, and did not hold the handle all the way down.

I went inside and my mother asked,

“Jennie, did you put your bike in the garage?”

I shook my head yes.

“Did you put the garage door down?”

I shook my head yes.

“All the way down?”

I shook my head yes.

“Good.  Wash up and get ready for dinner.”

We had dinner.  The whole family always had dinner together.  After dinner I played Go Fish, and then Monopoly.  My brother always wins.  My mother finally said,

“Time for bed.”

I walked to the stairway to head up to my room.  But just as I was ready to go up, I thought I saw something…black…go wooosh.  And then it was gone.  It happened so fast.  I must have been mistaken.

I went upstairs.  That was the second floor.  Then I went upstairs again.  That was the third floor.  My bedroom was on the third floor.  I washed my hands and face, brushed my teeth, and put on my nightgown.  I climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, and turned out the light.  I was tired.  I fell asleep.

This is when I get ‘scared’ as I tell the story. Sometimes I grab the hand of a child.  I breathe hard. You could hear a pin drop.

And then it was 10:00.  And then it was 11:00.  And then, and then…it was midnight. Suddenly I heard the two sounds that I was afraid of, the two sounds I hated more than anything in the world.  One sound went flap, flap, flap, flap.  The other sound went shhhooosh, shhhooosh.

It was a bat!!!

I pulled the covers over my head and yelled, “DAD!”  Two seconds later I heard thump, thump, thump- my dad running up the stairs.  He banged my door open, and jumped in my room holding a tennis racquet.  He went everywhere and swung the racquet.  He bopped the bat.  And…

I lean in, smiling at children like I’m telling a secret.

He was wearing his underwear!

Every child bursts out laughing.  I do, too.  The scary story has turned into a funny story. Throughout, I thump my feet when running up stairs, wave my hands to do bat flapping and soaring, and reach up high to pull down that garage door.

After the story, I always ask, “How did the bat get into the house?”  Of course we talk about the garage door and putting the red bike away.  Often this leads to even more questions and great discussions.

This story and “The Raccoon Story” – stay tuned for Part 4 – are children’s all-time favorites.

Jennie