Bruises, Scrapes and Missing Teeth: A Day with 1st Graders

In 2012, when I briefly worked as a teacher in Spain, I wrote this blog post about a classroom experience I had. It is a very much true story, and still so funny to me, that I feel like I have to keep it alive.

Here it is.

You never really know what to expect or what you will get when working with children. At any given moment, literally anything can happen. Kids are very clever, but they are also very fragile. 

For instance, many of my students always seem to have a runny nose that mysteriously never goes away. It’s like an eternal cold. And occasionally, one or two of them will get hurt on the playground, scratching their everything in the process.

A few weeks ago, a first grader, Esther, came running to show me her smile, which was now missing two front teeth. Filled with excitement she said, “I lost two teeth over the weekend!” Esther doesn’t talk that much in class, so it made me feel very special that she wanted to share it with me. She’s such a sweetie. 

Little kids naturally get excited about their teeth-less smiles — and I have the sneaking suspicion that it’s because of the visit from the fairy (or the ratoncito Miguel, in the case of Hispanic tradition). I thought it was adorable.

Even though they’re young, some kids may actually feel insecure about it. So I make sure to tell them how cute I think their smiles look. And it’s true.

But going back to my tory, what I witnessed today wasn’t all that cute. There were bloody mouths, bloody noses, scratched elbows, and bruised knees, all before the day was over.

My first grade students didn’t see me last week, so they were very excited to tell me all about their past two weekends. As I entered the room, they ambushed me.

“Teacher Marcia! Teacher Marcia!” [Incomprehensible gibberish as they all tried to speak simultaneously]

It was getting a little out of control, so I had to lay down the law. I asked them to sit down and raise their hands if they wanted me to hear their stories. One by one, they started raising their hands. 

Lucia went first. “I was running and I crashed against a tree.” Ouch. Poor girl had cuts and scratches all over her nose and cheeks. What kind of tree was this? Or how fast was she running? I had questions. 

Then, it was Alejandro’s turn. “I lost one tooth today.” Then it was Beatriz’s. “Me too, teacher!” she said.

I see Manuel, the most active little boy I’ve ever known my whole life, jumping next to his seat (typical gymnastics) as he tried to get my attention. 

“Yes, Manuel?” I say. 

He comes running to the front of the class, rolling up his pants by the leg, right above his right knee. “Seño, look! I fell on the playground and hurt my knee AND my hand.” 

Oh my…  I always worried about that little boy. He’s too thin and moves around way too much. It can’t be safe. Manuel set the standard high by showing me his wounds because now everybody wanted to show, not just tell. 

Maria came up next, rolling up her sleeve. “I fell, too, like Manuel, and cut my elbow.” 

My god, they went on and on and on… 

So this is what it’s like working with elementary children, I thought to myself. I learned a lifelong lesson already on my first try.

I just couldn’t believe they all hurt themselves on the same week, same day. It was only 12:30 p.m.! Do children really have this much energy? I was in for a treat. 

As I finally get ready to start my lesson, Maria, the same little girl with the bruised elbow, yells, “Teacher, I’m bleeding from my nose!” 

¿Cómo es posible?

Seconds later, Beatriz’s mouth is all bloody from the tooth she had just lost. Meanwhile, my jaw is on the floor. I could not believe my eyes, ears, and luck.

I must admit, after all that shows and tell, I was terrified to be in that classroom. Luckily, we all made it through the day. Class was a lot of fun in spite of it all, actually. And once everyone cleaned themselves up and settled down, we danced the “Hula Pokey” because they love nothing more.