Stickler for Stickers

Hi there! My name is Joanne and I’m a kindergarten teacher. My job is pretty much to supervise all these little kids, just entering the world of individuality and awareness. There are no grades in my classes, but I do give out stickers! If one of my kids shows some kind of above and beyond behavior, maybe they did something extra kind, or smart, or showed leadership, etc, then they get a star sticker up on our “star board” for a week. They also get to choose one that they like for themselves. That one they can put that one on their books, or shirts, or just bring it home to show off to their parents!

They looove these stickers. I think it’s because they’re not easy to get, by any means! I often call myself a “stickler for stickers,” hehe… Just a cute little title for my own enjoyment. Some of the kids like to compete, and try really hard to show off to me to get one, but I can usually tell when that’s what they’re doing. They often try to tempt me with snacks, like the stereotypical apple left on my desk. Hah! It’s sweet of them to bring me something, but I see right through them. Bribes aren’t going to get you a sticker, little one. Not that I mind these aggressive methods, I want them to work for improvement, so they can be their best selves! But I also want them to discover and explore their natural talents. Kindergarten is a time and place to learn about who you are and how to interact with others, so I do have a bit of a bias toward students who show me that.

Just this morning, I observed one boy do something wonderful. It was lunchtime and the girl next to him accidentally knocked her milk off of the table and onto his lap. She started crying and he jumped to his feet, but after the initial surprise, the boy patted her on the head and said it was alright. He took his own milk which he had not opened yet and gave it to her. Such kindness! That, right there, is what I’m here for.

I love my job, I just love spending time with and teaching all the children! I can’t have any of my own, sadly… But that’s ok. I think of each and every child that I work with as one of my very own. Watching them all play together just… Kind of makes my heart flutter up and soar away… So innocent, so pure and sweet. I’m really happy here.

Seeing that boy do what he did brought that feeling back to me that day. Of course that earned him a star on the board. He chose a sticker with a boy on a skateboard that said “radical!” on the bottom of the deck. Adorable.

I was feeling a little bit down this morning, because it’s Monday and that’s the day I clear all the stickers off the Star Board. Every Monday morning I peel those stickers off with a sad smile, as I am reminded of all the good the children had done that week. It’s become a bit of a memorial ceremony. I peel it off the board, sit down and stare at their name in the center of the star for a minute, and smile remembering what that child had done to earn it.

It’s usually just two or three. This week it was Mikey, written in big, sloppy letters that were too long in some places and too short in others, and Jess, written quite primly by contrast. Jess is well ahead of her classmates, intellectually, and this wasn’t her first sticker for her smarts. You’d be surprised by just how bright some of these kids can be!

I took them down, put them in a little baggie in my desk drawer, and welcomed the students into the classroom shortly thereafter. It was another lovely day of watching my kids be cute and strut their stuff. Mikhaila earned her first star today, so it was a good one!

After work I took the baggie with last week’s star stickers in it from my desk and headed home. My husband gets there a few hours before me and he likes to greet me at the door. Today he did so by a lovely, gentle candlelight and led me to a beautiful, romantic dinner with roses, soft music, the works! I’m very lucky… He loves me so much, and I him.

After dinner I took his hand and pulled him along behind me. We went to my purse and retrieved the star stickers and, giggling like school children ourselves, we trotted over to the basement door. The stairway here was lit by candles as well. They sputtered in our wake as we descended and made a sharp turn. We walked along that wall to the corner, where I pressed on the wood paneling and it sprung open.

We were bathed in candlelight then, coming trom altar. The warmth was intoxicating. I leaned back into his arms and he hugged me close, kissing my neck. We took a few minutes to bathe in the love flowing between us, and take in the beauty of our work.

Sigils of Baphomet were displayed proudly to either side on lazily waving tapestries. A pristine white goat’s head statue protruded from top of the back wall and looked down at us lovingly. Two large black pillar candles sat at the front of it all, crackling wooden wicks feeding wide, strong flames. Eighteen small candles, in three rows of six, sat upon a little bleacher beneath the star board.

I slipped my hand into the bag and grabbed the first star, Jess’s. I smoothed it out and placed it upon the board, then reached down to hold my husband’s hand. After only a few seconds, the edges of the star began to blacken, and rapidly curl up. It crumpled and shrunk until it fell off the wall in a little ball. I picked it up and pouted at my husband, and he furrowed his brow and pursed his lips. Oh well.

I reached in again and took out the next one, Mikey’s, and placed this one up as well. A few seconds passed, and then it burst into flames. I breathed a sigh of relief and the two of us grinned excitedly at each other and pressed our lips together in the fire light. Mikey’s star burned for a few seconds, and then dispersed into dust.

That’s six hundred and ninety-seven. Three hundred and three to go, and we’ll finally have a real child of our own.