The Year of the Nickname

The Year of the Nickname







At the end of last quarter, as I was grading papers, one of my students walked in my door before her afterschool program began and said,

“Hi Bigfoot.”

I looked at her questioningly as she stood there without expression in front of me, blinking from behind her horn rimmed glasses. She is the smallest student in the 5th grade, has an adorable and ever-so-slight lisp, and a dry sense of humor that belies her age. I looked from my feet to hers, then replied,

“Hi Littlefoot,” and picked up the next test I was grading while pretending to peruse it.

“Why did you call me Littlefoot?” she asked after a few seconds.

I looked up from the test in my hands.

“Why did you call me Bigfoot?” I asked back to her.

“Because you have big feet.” Apparently, my size 10 shoes appeared enormous to this small child.

“Well, you have little feet,” I responded.

“Oh, ok. Bye!”

She turned around and walked out the door, a little spring to each step accompanying her little feet.

I’d guess that my experiences as a teacher aren’t entirely unique comparative to other teachers. With each day comes something totally new and unexpected, and with each year come things that resonate as the central theme of that school year. For me and my classroom, last year was the Year of the Stick.

According to the lunar calendar, the New Year began on January 23rd of this year. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. In my classroom, this is not the Year of the Dragon. It is the Year of the Nickname.

The first nickname was borne from a joke one of my students told. The second – a nickname given to their teacher – came from the children’s imaginations. Along the way, other nicknames have been doled out to various members of the class – Pluto, Brynoceros, Gizmo, and Littlefoot among them. In January, Littlefoot came to me before school began one day as I was writing a message on the board. She handed me a note that now hangs on my refrigerator door:

Dear Mr. Bigfoot,

I need help with these things below. (Geometry, algebra, and fractions are circled). I really want to bump up my grade.

Love, Littlefoot

Underneath her writing she had drawn a series of feet of varying sizes. After I had finished reading, I looked at the adorable, bespectacled face that was blinking expressionlessly up at me. Although I was beaming inside, I did my best not to let that show.

“Don’t worry about algebra. That’ll be something you do in depth in the 7th grade. We will cover fractions again in our next unit so you’ll get plenty of practice. And, we just started our geometry unit so let’s wait a few days before you think you need help. If you still think that, I’ll be happy to work with you after school or during lunch.”

“Oh. Ok.” She turned and began to walk away.

“Hey Littlefoot,” I called to her. She turned around and looked expectantly at me.

“I love how you are taking your learning seriously. That means you will be just fine.”

She smiled at me, then turned and walked out of my room with the little spring in her step accompanying those little feet once more. She might have thought I meant that her math grades would be just fine, but my words were meant to have a larger scope. According to the Chinese Zodiac, a person who is a dragon has the following characteristics:

A dragon overcomes obstacles until success is his. He is energetic, decisive, optimistic, intelligent and ambitious. The Dragon person is self confident and impulsive and consequently does not always listen to the advice of others. He is also a perfectionist and he sets high standards for himself.




Sounds about right for my friend Littlefoot.

One day, long after she has left fifth grade, and after her high school and college graduations, maybe I’ll catch wind of what lofty heights she has achieved. In a moment which would epitomize the reward for being a teacher, my heart would smile as I think fondly back at my Valentine’s Day gift from her – a chocolate apple wrapped in gold foil simply labeled,

To: Bigfoot

From: Littlefoot

My dear Littlefoot, may those little feet spring you to great heights in your future.

Love,

Mr. Lin