The Porch Swing Chronicles: Back-to-School Chatting on the Porch Swing

Today, many of my teacher friends went back to school. Although the kids won't start until next week, professional development meetings and prep work will fill today and tomorrow as they ready themselves and their classrooms for another year of teaching and learning.

Although my classes don't start for another two weeks, I've been chipping away at syllabi, class prep and other school-related stuff since last week. Although I'm sad to cut into my writing time, I enjoy the creative process that both accompanies and feeds this planning and preparing process.

All of this got me to thinking about my characters, so I thought I'd invite them to the porch swing and get their thoughts about school.

First question: Who's ready?

Charli: I am, kinda. I'm not looking forward to homework, but I'm looking forward to seeing my friends. Although there are a couple of people I'll be avoiding.

Bets: I'm not! All those buses mean I have to get up earlier to get to work on time.

Marita: I'm not either. I like having Charli around for the summer.

Charli: Mom, you're not even home during the day!

Marita: Yeah, but...never mind.

Angel: You like knowing she's there? I get that.

Pixabay

Okay. School. Love it or hate it?

Angel: Oh, I loved school!

Bets: Of course you did. You probably got straight A's.

Angel: No, not straight A's....

Bets: Me, I loved school supplies but not school. I liked the whole getting ready part, but I hated that I couldn't get back-to-school clothes like my friends who went to public school. And school itself was boring, which is why I had to make my own fun.

Marita: I hated those uniforms, too. Remember how we tried to personalize them? And then we'd get in trouble for that.

Charli: I can picture that. Did you like school, Mom?

Marita: I did. I was always pretty good at school -- except for the fact that I talked too much -- so that made it tolerable. Until high school, anyway.

Charli: Uh oh.

Marita: You don't need to worry. You're too smart to make the mistakes I did.

stux via Pixabay

Favorite subject?

Charli: Math.

Angel: French.

Marita: Spanish.

Bets: Drama club.

Charli: No offense, Bets, but isn't that any class you're in?

Bets: Ooh, she's good.

Marita: And drama club isn't a class.

Bets (shrugs): Okay, then. Whatever class had the cutest boys.

Favorite teacher? Or least favorite?

Marita: My favorite teacher was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Stein. My least favorite was Sr. Mary Rose, my 11th grade English teacher.

Bets: I didn't like her either. But I loved my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Evans.

Angel: I loved my kindergarten teacher, too! Miss Garrety.