Trying to be Stealthy
Kindergarten Classes Stole the Grinch
Kindergartners are hilariously honest and innocent. They do not know which questions are inappropriate and which comments to leave out because they might hurt someone’s feelings. For that, I am truly charmed by them. Perhaps it is because they are like me in that respect, though I probably should know better by now. I have had kindergartners explain the intricacies of which crayon to pick, how to know if someone is a best friend rather than just a friend, and when their step-mom is getting out of prison. Really, they are just like you and me -- they just want someone to listen.
The questions you get as someone new in a kindergarten classroom are always entertaining. They will ask you anything and everything!
- “Do you know how to make spaghetti?”
- “Why are your eyes like that?”
- “Do you even know what we are doing?”
- “Wanna see my picture?”
- “Teacher! Can you help me write this?”
- “Teacher! How do you spell ‘phone?’”
- “Teacher! Can you tie my shoe?”
Despite how little I know about kindergartners, it is always inspiring to see them learning. When one particular group quickly rushed back to their spots on the rainbow colored carpet for math, I was amazed they were already learning addition and subtraction. I was pretty sure my earliest memory of learning that was in third grade (probably a testament to why I’m so bad at math). I have been constantly amazed at what kindergartners learn, the songs they sing, the thoughts they come up with, and, of course, the pictures they show me. I am a Grinch no more.
Seeing Students Succeed
Despite all my blunders, the amazing things I get to see in classrooms and the learning that happens completely outweigh the awkwardness I bring to the situation. They remind me that, in a field where it can sometime seem like we focus solely on the negative, there are so many positives to be had. Plus, who doesn’t like getting a picture “drawed” for you by a kindergartner?
Amy Cox, M.A.T. Research Assistant
