Teacher's pet

ItalianHandfull left a commentto my previous post saying how touched she was to get an “inside-out” look at a presentation for elementary school kids. That comment inspired me to share this

That’s Erica with me and Whit.

additional point of view from the teacher who arranged our visit to Long Island in the first place.

Erica Bohrer teaches at Daniel Street School in Lindenhurst, NY. Her Erica Bohrer’s First Grade blog shares her secrets for success, and Whitney and I are still beaming after reading the post she published about our visit:

Oh, Whitney! That beautiful, happy, dog stole the show. When I first greeted Beth in the main office to escort her to the small gym, I noticed Whitney looking at me and wagging her tail. Hanni was always all business while wearing her harness. It was so hard for me not to reach down and pet Whitney, but I reminded myself that you don’t pet a service dog while he/she is working.

Good girl, Erica! Ms. Bohrer was a great role model for her students, restraining herself from petting Whitney until the end of the presentation, when I took Whit’s harness off and all the first-graders joined in on the fun.

Erica Bohrer’s post about our visit was extremely flattering, and it was interesting to discover another point of view on Whitney’s goofy behavior :

I guided Beth and Whitney down the hall to the small gym. Inside, the students were seated nicely awaiting Beth’s arrival. Whitney must have been distracted by all the children, because she almost led Beth into the door divider. I intervened, and just as I did, Whitney managed to lick a student’s face! Whitney is no Hanni! Beth informed me that Whitney loves children and that was one thing that would make her lose her focus. Beth did not seem concerned, apparently there is a learning curve for new seeing-eye dogs. Darn, I was ready to say, “you know if Whitney does not work out, I will take her.” Throughout the question and answer session, Whitney rolled on her back with her harness on, chewed on her

The first-graders followed all the rules while Whit was in harness.

leash, and was just hamming it up for the kids. Beth managed to get Whitney back on track, though I think the students preferred her goofball antics.

To read more — and see lots of photos! — I highly encourage you to link to the Erica Bohrer’s First Grade blog. My blog readers who are teachers will find Erica’s blog full of tips and ideas to help your kids learn, and you’ll be taking your advice from an excerpt: Erica Bohrer is the author of 50 Just Right Reading Response Activities and Super Spelling Centers, both published by Scholastic.