My Special Fridays

Wednesday, September 30, 2026
written by Kelly McGinn

There are some seasons of life that feel like they are happening in two places at once—where you are standing in the present, but somehow your heart keeps wandering back to the past. My Fridays volunteering in my daughter Helena’s first-grade classroom at Fireside Elementary have been exactly that for me.

It is such a special gift to be able to step into her classroom and watch her in her element. And the funny, beautiful part is that, in many ways, she is the teacher and I am the student. I get to see a side of my daughter that I don’t always get to see at home—the patience, the responsibility, the creativity, the determination, and the enormous amount of heart she pours into her classroom.

Helena doesn’t have an aide, so having extra support in the classroom is important. I am grateful that I can be there for her and help in whatever ways are needed. Some days that means assisting a child, helping with an activity, redirecting a little energy, answering questions, organizing materials, or simply being another set of hands and eyes. Other days, it feels like my main job is to keep up!

And I have thoroughly—and exhaustingly—loved every minute of it.

First graders are something special. They are loving, curious, funny, honest, energetic little people who can make you laugh one minute and melt your heart the next. They are still young enough to get excited about the smallest things, eager enough to want to tell you every detail, and sweet enough to give you a hug without thinking twice. Their personalities are already so big, and getting to know them has been one of the unexpected joys of these Fridays.

There is something about being surrounded by first graders that brings me right back to the other side of motherhood. I remember being the mom on the outside of the classroom—the one wondering what was happening inside, imagining what my child’s day looked like, and trusting her teachers to care for her. Now I get a tiny glimpse of that world from the inside.

And seeing Helena there makes me especially grateful.

I see how much goes into creating a classroom where children feel safe, encouraged, challenged, and loved. I see how much energy teaching requires. I see the little moments that probably go unnoticed—the child who finally understands something, the child who needs an extra bit of encouragement, the friendship that forms, the proud smile after finishing an assignment. These moments may seem small, but together they are the fabric of a school day.

Most of all, I love watching Helena become more and more herself as a teacher.

There is something incredibly moving about seeing your child grow into a role that requires so much compassion and responsibility. I’m proud of her not simply because she is my daughter, but because I get to witness the care she gives these children. She shows up for them, and on Fridays, I get the privilege of showing up for her.

By the end of the day, I am usually completely wiped out. First grade is no joke! But underneath the exhaustion is an enormous sense of gratitude.

I know these Fridays will become memories that I treasure. One day, Helena’s classroom will be another chapter in her story, and these little first graders will have grown up and moved on. But for now, I get to sit in the middle of it all—to help, to watch, to laugh, to learn, and to be close to my daughter in a way that feels incredibly rare.

I’m not sure there is a better word for it than special.

It is special to be needed.

It is special to be included.

It is special to see my daughter teach.

And it is very, very special to be her mom—on both sides of the classroom.