One of the many great things about grade school was learning to write in cursive. The printing part of grade school was so easy that it really does not deserve a mention. It was penmanship and cursive writing that was oh so very cool and fun. The letters up above the chalkboard, upper case and lower case, scrawled out in all their glory in thick white lines on a green background. The fascination involved in seeing that a capital Q was written as a large number 2 with a nice loop at the top and a longish tail at the end. The capital X that looked like something an alien would write. The simply joy of connecting the letters together into words without having to pick up the writing implement. Mastering the lines and the curves and the technique of writing in cursive. This was true visceral learning where you could see progress on a daily basis.

Closely connected to penmanship was the pencil sharpener at the front of the room. A true student wanted a nice edge to their pencil so that blotchy mistakes would not be made while forming that magical capital Q. Usually attached to the wall on the left side of the chalkboard, the grey metal contraption was a simple but oh so effective tool. If you were lucky you had a sharpener whose handled turned with ease and that produced a needle sharp point connected to a freshly shaved shaft. Now that I wrote that it sounds a bit dirty. But never you mind. Moving on. There was often a dial you could turn so that a larger pencil could be accommodated and sharpened. If you were really lucky the teacher would ask you to sharpen a dozen or so pencils at a time. You were asked because you clearly enjoyed it and took the job seriously. Quite an honor on every level.

Penmanship and pencil sharpeners. Just two of the things I miss from grade school.