Most people remember their first day at school, or at least something about it… especially if it was particularly emotional. The ends of the continuum from traumatic to ecstatic are always where extreme emotions lie and thus these leave stronger impressions.
Consider your 1st day of school and place it somewhere on the following continuum:
What value would you score your first experience in the classroom?
Now, write a sentence that focusses on the reason you chose this rating. Was it a happy day or a difficult day?
Jot down any memories that pop into your head…
To access, clarify or expand your memories of this significant life experience, ask yourself some, or all, of the following questions:
- What comments were made in the family about school and my approaching attendance?
- What did I wear?
- How did I get there?
- Who took me?
- What instructions was I given from home?
- Was I anxious, excited, boisterous, quiet…?
- What were my first impressions?
- How did these change during the day?
- What was the room like?
- Who was my teacher? Did I like him/her?
- How many children were there?
- Did I connect with anyone?
- What did I do in class?
- How did I get home at the end of the day?
- Was my experience discussed over dinner that night?
- What was said?
Add any further questions stimulated by this list…
Combine the answers to these questions with your original jottings of memories of the day.
Use these notes to shape the tale of your first school experience, written from the heart… so it tells not just what happened that day, but also how you felt about it and perhaps even the effect it had on you going forward.
You will find my musings about my first day of school Here