Dave Price In Kindergarten

Although fewer than 2 percent of all kindergarten teachers are men, the few and the proud who spend their days with 5-year-olds say it's the best job in the world.

So when Chris Crowell, a kindergarten teacher in Flemington, N.J., agreed to let The Early Show's Dave Price take over his afternoon class for a day, Price just had to say yes.

"Every day, when you come into kindergarten with 5- and 6-year-olds, it's something new," says Crowell. "It's something different. The stories you hear, the openness that they accept you with; what you're telling them, trying to teach them; it's just fantastic. You come in and you're just a rock star.

So Price asked for a little prayer before getting in Crowell's shoes. Crowell consented and, bowing his head, he asked, "Bless these kindergarten kids, and let's just hope he doesn't mess it up."

"That's a good prayer," says Price. "OK, here we go."

The kids were all lined up, ready to enter the school. Crowell made the introduction: "Hi, boys and girls. Today we have a special guest, and his name is Mr. Price."

As the kids walked inside, one in a red sweater had his hand up. "Do you have a question?" Price asked. "Why is my mommy not leaving right now?" the boy wondered. Price clarified the question, "Do you want her to leave?" The boy explained, "She has to leave when I go in."

Being certain the boy wanted him to handle the situation, Price approached the boy's mom and said, "I guess you can just go. Everything's cool. He's in my hands. G-d help him."

So it was show time for Price. He started by calling attendance. "I'm going to call out your name, and if you're here, yell here. OK?" He had no problems there.

"Ashley are you here?" he asked.

"Here!" Ashley, who was wearing a purple sweater, raised her hand.

"Oh, I love the color purple." Price noted, "Do you love the color purple?"
Ashley seemed indifferent. "It was one of Oprah Winfrey's best performances," Price noted.

Then it was time for some lessons.

"Please direct your attention to page 1, where the ethereal ghostlike structure is pictured," Price instructed. "I'd like people to color the square purple, and I'd like you to color the triangle orange. Can everyone do that?"

"Yeah," the kids replied in unison.

One had a question. "One time, one time my sister punched me for no reason," he said.

"Is that your question?" Price asked. "Yeah," the boy replied.

By 1:20 p.m., Price was ready to take off his suit jacket.

He leaned over to compliment a boy's drawing. The boy said, "I'm going on my grandpa's boat!"

Price noted, "Maybe your grandpa will put up this artwork on his boat. You know why? Cause this is really nice. I bet he's proud of you. Is your grandpa proud of you?"

Confused, the boy replied, "Yeah, he's not alive. All of them are dead. Only my grandma's alive."

That left Price in silence.

By 1:45 p.m., Price needed some feedback. So he asked a series of questions to a little girl.

Price: "All right, Taylor, how am I doing at being a teacher?"

Taylor: "Good."

Price: "Am I exciting?"

Taylor: "Yes."

Price: "Am I funny?"

Taylor: "Yes."

Price: "Am I smart?"

Taylor: "Yes."

Price: "Am I handsome?"

Taylor: "No."

Price: "Oh, um, OK. Thanks for the feedback."

At 2:00 p.m., the pupils were all lined up ready to leave the classroom and head to the library.

"All right, boys and girls, are we all having fun so far?" Price asked his class. "YEAH," the little ones replied, well-behaved in their seats.

"So is Mr. Price. This is great," Price rolled up his sleeves and asked, "Who wants to read a book?"

"ME," the kids all yelled as they raised their hands.

Price continued, "Who wants to read a book called 'The Weatherman Teacher Who Got Exhausted After Just 3 Hours Of Teaching Kindergarten?' It's quite an adventure."

The reply he got was not as exciting, however.

The time was 2:45 – Time for more lessons and fun games.

Price loosened his tie and clearly looked tired. "All right, kids, school's almost over for the day. Just a couple of hours left," he said to his class, "Would anyone consider taking a nap for, maybe, just like 20 minutes."

"NOOOOOOO," they all replied.

So on to plan B.

"OK, everyone, ready to go outside?" he asked. "YEESSSSSSS," they excitedly replied and quickly lined up to leave the classroom.

He ushered them out and said, "OK. All right; enjoy playtime." Once everybody was out with supervision, Price closed the door, and stayed inside to get some rest.

"These people are saints," he noted about the teachers.

He gives thanks to Chris Crowell again, and his afternoon class at the Francis A. Desmares School in Flemington, N.J., for letting him teach for a day.