Kindergarten

Has anyone ever spent any length of time in a kindergarten classroom? Because I have. And it can be... an experience. To say the least. But-- it can also be really surprising.

My experience in kindergarten has led me to one conclusion. The whole world should be as we are when we are in kindergarten. The students come to school everyday ready and willing to learn, not as something they are forced to do by mom and dad.

The students genuinely miss one another when someone is absent. Throughout the morning I hear whispers of saving extra pieces and making sure there are enough supplies for the missing child to complete the activity tomorrow. When an absent student returns, they are greeted by the whole class with hugs and high fives. In the world of kindergarten there is no segregation between girls and boys, and the world of cooties has not yet been thought of. Students are welcomed back by all of their classmates with gusto I have never witnessed in the classroom. Kindergarteners are still very full of energy and, believe it or not, they (usually, with a little guidance) expend it in appropriate manners.

Kindergarteners have not lost their desire to help one another. If one child has excelled at a task and completed it quickly, they are willing to help a classmate who is struggling. They don’t need to be asked, and if you are in need of assistance, you need not look far to find a friend who is ready to help.

Kindergarteners are not so caught up in themselves that they are worried about making mistakes. They are not self conscious when they are speaking to one another or to the teacher, because they know they will not be judged by their classmates. The flip side of not being caught up in yourself is that you are not worried about the mistakes other people make. In kindergarten everyone is free to be themselves, with no strings attached.

Now imagine applying these same thoughts and actions to the people you see everyday at the bank, or the post office, or the grocery store. If everyone viewed their job as a new challenge, looked out for others without an ulterior motive, and spent a little less time judging others imagine the world we could live in.

My kindergarten experience has truly taught me that everything we need to know in life comes inherently to us in kindergarten. What we really need to learn is how not to lose it.