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.

Tough Love

I have found being a substitute teaching to be a very rewarding experience. I get to use my degree, work with kids, and have a lot of fun! But... it's not always fun, and it's not always rewarding. Sometimes you want to punt a kid into the next room before curling up into a corner, crying.

That being said, I thought that I would take the time to chronicle my experiences here. Because sometimes, even as a substitute, you just need to share the wit, wisdom, wretchedness you experienced throughout the day.

Today I got a lesson in tough love.

When I began my day in second grade I was excited. At 7 and 8 kids are still cute, eager to please and fairly well behaved.

Plus, how could anything go wrong when this is your Question of the Day?

But I found my morning to be a little trying.

I was fortunate enough to "team teach" reading today, which translated into me grading papers while my wonderful team member taught. Things, however, began to get a little sticky when it came time for centers. "Silent" means something different to me than it does to your average, everyday second grader. I did my best to put the offenders in my zone of proximity, but that did little to encourage quiet, efficient working. (Which is what my team member informed me was the expectation for this class.) Then you have to start moving the clips, and giving the stare and raising your voice.

Here's the thing to know about me as a substitute: Really and truly, I don't actually mind a little bit of chatter. BUT (there's always a but in life, isn't there, friends?), you have to be getting your work done. Here's the other thing to know about me as a substitute: If you've made the mistake of being off task, I tend to come down harder on you than I would if I were in my own classroom.

As a substitute the first and foremost, very, very most important thing you have to do is gain and maintain control of the class. I find that, much like a classroom teacher in the first two weeks of school, you have to go in, guns blazing, game face on, no room for error. If you mean business, they mean business and then everyone usually gets along fine. Usually.

Today was an exception to the rule. I spent the majority of my day reminding, prodding, nagging, and begging my new friends to stay quiet and follow directions.

Finally, after a particularly exhausting 15 minute walk back from the cafeteria I decided that a heart-to-heart was in order.

After we spent a few minutes talking about how we had been spending the day when a particularly astute little muffin raised her hand and simply said "Sometimes you just have to show us tough love." As a smile filled my face and heart I saw heads nodding in agreement from around the classroom.

Was the day perfect after that? Of course not. Was it better? Absolutely.

Sometimes, we all need a little tough love. And sometimes, we just need to know that's what we are being given in order to stop needing it so much.