THIRD GRADE

I just noticed in the obituaries that the grandson of my third grade teacher died (he was 51), and I was transported back to that year when I had Mrs. Hardcastle as a teacher.

It was my first experience in a portable classroom, but certainly not my last. I was to spend a year in one as a fifth grader, and many years later, I taught in one for three years. There are some advantages (privacy, not bothered by others’ noise), but the disadvantages (a feeling of isolation, having to go through bad weather to the main building, very little supervision by the principal) outweighed the benefits.

In addition, the class was a split one with second and third graders in the same room. I vaguely remember my mother being upset about this arrangement, but I don’t know if she complained or not. At any rate, I stayed where I was --- in a single portable classroom vying with second graders for the teacher’s attention.

One incident stands out in my mind that occurred that year. At some point during the morning lessons I noticed a second grade boy, Robin, crying quietly on the other side of the room. Of course, we were all curious as to what his problem was, especially since he was an ill-behaved child who was also very tough when he was punished, which was often. His crying was a shock to all of us. The news finally circulated around the room that his parents were getting a DIVORCE! I still remember our horror at hearing that information – no one in the room had had that occur. And really when I stop and think about it, I knew very few classmates even in high school whose parents were divorced. How far we’ve come --- and not in a good way!

An addendum to the story of Robin is that years later, after I was married and living back in Nashville, I read in the paper that he had been arrested for something (burglary maybe) and I thought back to that day in the third grade when he was so vulnerable and and unable to hide his tears. I’m not going to be so judgmental as to blame his parents; my point is how different life was back in the forties and fifties from today. And what would Mrs. Hardcastle, who has been dead many years, think?