STOGUIDE pages 154-192:Layout 1 10/30/07 3:46 PM Page 174
One room
bitslower,theschedulealittlelessrigidthan
atastandardelementaryschoolandstudents
seemtothriveintheintimateenvironment.
Childrenseemcomfortablewithher,polite-
lyraisingtheirhandstogetherattention
andlisteningintentlywhileshedeciphersa
mathproblemorcorrectsaspellingword,
andolderstudentsstudentsquicklyoffer
helptotheyoungerones.
Andersonmaintainsgentlecontrolofthe
classroom,complimentingstudentsfor
workingwelltogetherandremindingthem
tobequietwhentheystarttochatterwith
theirneighbors.Littleescapeshereagle
eyes.Whenshenoticesthatachildhas
droppedhispencilandisstartingtoday-
dreamshequicklyremindshimtomove
ontohisnextassignment.
Amasteratmultitasking—shemustpre-
paremultiplelessonplanseachday—
Andersoncalmlyweavesherwayaround
theclassroomstoppingatthestudents’
deskstoanswerquestionsaboutspelling,
grammarandmultiplication.Hereaseat
interactingwithherstudents—inandout-
sideoftheclassroom—hasearnedherhigh
marksfromparents.
“Iwasdeliveringlunchonedayand
Anamarywasthereontheplayground,
wearingaskirtandplayingsoccerwiththe
boys,”Dambachsaid.“Ithoughtitwasso
neattoseeherhavingsomuchfun.”
OnedaylastJuneAndersonaskedthe
childrentowriteletterstothestudentswho
weregraduatingfromtheschoolandletters
tothestudentswhowouldbestaying
behindforanotheryear.Shecalledthem
“memoryletters.”Sheinstructedtheclass:
“Writeaboutagoodmemoryyouhaveof
workingorplayingwiththestudent.Write
aboutwhatgoodthingsyouwanttohappen
Excavation
intheirlives.Iwant…Iwish…”
Thestudents,eachwithapileoffresh
Contractor
paperontheirdesks,settowork,carefully
printingmemoriesaboutreadingprojects,
playingkickballontheplayground,and
a73 Land Clearing &
fieldtrips.“DearTravis,”wroteonestu-
Improvements
dent.“Irememberhowyougavemetips
aboutdrawingaliens.Thankyou.I’mgoing
a73 Roads & Drives
tomissyou.”
MariaLombardispentafewminutes
a73 Ponds & Stumping
staringatherfirstsheetofpaperbefore
pickingupapencil.Thethirdofthreesib-
a73 Septic & Water Systems
lingswhohaveattendedtheschool,she
hadmixedfeelingsaboutgraduatingtothe
a73 Consultations & elementaryschoolinthefall.Shewas
Quotations provided
excitedtomoveon,butsadtoleavethe
schoolwhereshe“gottomakefriends
Box1078•Stowe,Vermont
withkidsofallages”and“helpthe
youngerkids.”
“IkindofwishIcouldstayhere,”
802-244-6465
Lombardisaidglancingaroundthesnug
classroom.“Theelementaryschoolisreal-
lybig.I’mafraidI’llgetlost.” a73
174
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