For my last three years of teaching I had 37 students plus or minus two or three in my classes. I had only 34 desks as the room was too full with 37 desks.
Quite often, for the last period of the week I would have a 42 minute reading period and sometimes we did cross word puzzles. We did one puzzle as a class and the second puzzle they could find a partner and do the puzzle with someone. The crossword puzzles as a class were fun. I would say one across and someone would shout out an answer. This continued and then some little guy would get behind in filling in the answers and I would repeat the answers which added to the mayhem.
When all students were present I had to improvise for space. So kids could always sit on the back counter. They liked sitting at my desk. And sometimes kids would sit on the floor. I didn't use the desk during class time. I had a stool and lectern at the front of the room.
One day the principal came in the room. This was quite common. This time there were six or seven people who followed the principal. The Education minister was in town and requested a school tour. The minister and his assistants were brought to our school. The Principal obliged and took them on a little school tour. Nothing was preplanned. They just went all over the place including my classroom.
So the kids were quiet and reading. One little guy was on the floor. Who did the minister decide to interact with but the little guy on the floor. The minister knelt down beside the kid and began to talk to the kid about his book.
The whole group breezed around the classroom for five or ten minutes and left.
The superintendent was the last to leave and quietly said to me, "He didn't notice how crowded your classroom was."
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