Just Andy

Teaching and interacting with Kindergartners is something special. You really never know what you’re going to get, ever. Teaching Kindergartners check out procedures and book care is always precarious at best. Having twenty little ones walk, use quiet voices, and handle shelf markers is quite a site. As they search, some take ten minutes while others take only ten seconds to find that perfect book. The first book they check out from West Lincoln. Oh what pleasure they have when they walk (excitedly too fast) to my desk with a book in their hand and smile on their face.

As one of our new Kindergartners approached, I asked him for his name. He proudly told me it was Andy. Andy. A good name; a solid, two syllable, good name to spell for a five year old fellow. And then I asked for his last name. Andy looked at me with a squinty expression… “Last name?” he asked. “I don’t have a last name. Just Andy.”

I told him Andy was his first name and that he had a last name, but he assured me that he did not have a second name. He was just Andy.

I looked at my list of Kindergartners, I found Andy and yes, he had a last name. I asked him if he knew the name H. “Oh yes,” he said. “Sometimes my mom says the name H.” Whew. Well, I said, that’s your last name.

“And my first name’s Andy,” said Andy.