First Person: The best-laid plans of mice and men

When Gerald Fowler began teaching 1st grade, he was sure the knowledge he'd gained from his master's degree program had prepared him to create a classroom where students would be immersed in literacy learning from Day 1. From his studies, he'd come across the idea of introducing mice to the classroom to get students talking and building vocabulary skills. He opted instead for gerbils. One student's surprising reaction to the gerbils taught Fowler about the complexities of language learning and the importance of experiences in increasing a child's vocabulary.