By Richard Bammer

Some squared their shoulders, others slouched, but all 19 second-graders in Carolene Dolan’s classroom cast steady eyes on their new Anderson Elementary teacher early Wednesday, the first day of school in Dixon Unified.

A tall woman with naturally friendly ways behind dark-rimmed glasses, her personal dynamics were a textbook case of how to keep young children’s attention after a two-month break from the three R’s: a cheery attitude, animated facial expressions, stories, jokes, patience, simple, age-appropriate reasoning exercises, often laced with humor to drive home a point or lesson, and repetition.

Source: Students, teachers, families usher in new year in Dixon Unified