Ms . Davidson welcoming Lower School boys on the first day of school in September 2018 .
was always an adventure to step into her office on Monday mornings . It seemed that every weekend she would let her imagination take flight at craft stores or garden centers or her own backyard … felt , seeds , handmade posters , paints , soil , and sometimes interesting smells would often greet me . She was not above a costume or two to make a lesson more memorable . The process of how she approached her lesson planning ; ever mindful of the goal of the lesson and never afraid to try something new and interesting to catch the attention of her students , always fascinated me . I am sure there are 30-year-old alumni who still clearly remember a scientific concept because Ms . Davidson appeared in their classrooms dressed as Ms . Frizzle to clarify a point !
Each day I was reminded that , for Kim , it was all about the happiness and comfort , safety and well-being of the students . It was the basis of her every decision . I am about to state the obvious … boys are mercurial beings ! You never knew how the day would go . First thing in the morning , Kim often would spot a boy who was having a difficult transition into the building . Lack of a good night ’ s rest , a fight with a sibling , a parent ’ s business trip , being rushed , wearing a scratchy shirt , anticipating a difficult day of school or a hard assignment ; anything could set them off . Some mornings there were floods of tears and wailing , and parents at a loss as to how to coax their little darlings into the building . Never fear … Kim to the rescue ! She would swoop in and ease them into her office , chatting non-stop ; disarming the angriest , saddest , most uncomfortable boy . Before you could count to 10 she had discovered the root of the problem , provided a few options to solve the issue and had the boy seamlessly back on track , laughing and happy . As a parent myself , I was always delighted when Kim would then pop into my office and ask me to email a student ’ s mom or dad to say he was alive and well , and giggling in his classroom after her ministrations .
There were also days when a boy needed more than just happy talk . Just like adults , little boys worry about many things . Kim took all of their worries to heart , never belittling them . She tried to help the student find some peace and understanding during these difficult times . In addition , there was no more relentless advocate for a student who was having trouble in school . She was adamant that there was always a very specific reason he was acting out or disinterested . In
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