A Kindergartner’s Guide: A Dozen Things You Should Know about Meess

Dear fresh kindergartner,

About to embark on your first day of school? No need to fret! Here is a list of things you should know and remember about someone who will soon become an important person in your school life, your meess.

 

meess: (noun) a person who teaches and/or cares for young children in a formal setting, often at a school. The word is derived from how Amharic speakers often pronounce the word, “Miss”. It is pronounced as “Miss” where the short i is replaced with a long e.

1.    She may be tall or short, chubby or thin, young or old. She may be well-educated; she may not. She may love kids or not. She may have always wanted to be a meess, or she may have become one because she could not find another job. Regardless, you will find traces of her influence in your life for many years to come.

2.    A meess is someone you may end up remembering fondly for the rest of your life. A meess is someone you may not remember at all.

3.    A meess is a child-whisperer. She seems to get through to a child that may have seemed impossible to guardians.

4.    A meess is best described as a sometimes-kind-of-person. Sometimes she is excited and happy. She listens attentively to every child and attends to the needs of each one. She is fair. Then, there are times when she just does not want to listen. She will tell you to just sit down and to be quiet. She may even seem partial. Those are the times when her walks are slower and her shoulders are slouching. Her eyes are droopy and she keeps yawning. Don’t worry! She will be back to being herself tomorrow. She is a meess and, meesses always bounce back!

5.     At times, you will feel that she knows you well and understands you. Other times, you will feel like she speaks a whole different language. Sometimes, she notices and commends something very small and simple you did. Those are the times when you will think, “I really like this meess.” Then, there are times when she seems to have missed something big that you did. She is too busy typing up what you will be doing next week. Like I said, a meess is a sometimes-kind-of-person. Yet, the best kind of meess is best described as a more-often-than-not-kind-of-person (leaning on the positive side). I have never come across an always-kind-of-meess.

6.    Most meesses get along some of the time. Some meesses get along most of the time. Few meesses don’t get along most of the time.

7.    Meesses have favorites. They always say they don’t but deep down they all know they do.

8.    A meess is an amazing creature; she is multi-faceted. She is a mom, a nurse, a friend, a playmate, and an instructor.

9.    A meess appears to have it together at all times. How she feels inside may be a different story. In any case, she has a long to-do list to get her through the day.

10. A meess is an active creature. She is looking. She is hearing. She is listening. She is thinking- a lot. She is talking. She is reading. She is playing. She is writing. She is texting. She is typing. She is drawing. She is walking. She is clapping. She is running. She is acting. She is dancing. She is singing. She is laughing. She is sighing. Most importantly, she is smiling- well, more often than not.

11. A meess is not just a meess at her workplace. She is a meess everywhere. She turns around at hearing the title wherever she is: on public transportation, on the streets, and at social gatherings. Being a meess is how she relates to children in general even in non-school settings. Somewhere in her school-related conversation with just about any child, she is bound to say, “you know… I’m a meess too”.

12. One day, you will grow up and leave your meess behind. Or will you?

Love life; love learning!