There were many days as an elementary principal when
it seemed like nothing was going right. Parents were discontented.
A few students were driving the staff crazy. The weather
was miserable, so boys and girls could not run off their
pent-up energy. It just seemed on these days the universe
was a little out of joint. When such times hit, I applied
good self-therapy: I would visit kindergarten rooms. There
the love for life and learning was infectious. The acceptance
and affection the children showed a visiting principal
more than made up for the other people who wanted to put
my picture on their dart boards.
These pleasant memories came back to me last week when I
visited our district’s kindergarten classrooms. It was
fun watching the patient enthusiasm of our excellent kindergarten
teachers. They were hearing questions that I am sure were
being asked for the 25th time, yet they pretended it was
the first time they had heard them. They had a new activity
every ten minutes and never lost the smiles and cheerfulness
that they wore to work that morning. That was true despite
the fact that it was the afternoon, and I am sure their energy
tanks were getting dangerously close to empty.
Kindergarten students are like little electric appliances.
They each have their own cords they plug into the teacher
at the beginning of the day and only unplug themselves when
mom or dad takes over at the end of the day. I seriously
doubt that anyone works harder or accomplishes more than
a kindergarten teacher. The title of a book by Robert Fughum
pretty much says it all: “All I really need to know
I learned in kindergarten.” That is what I was thinking
as I walked through those rooms last week. What can we learn
from kindergarteners?
First be curious and willing to try new things. The little
five-year-olds were so excited about all the new things they
were learning. Never did I see hesitation or resistance to
learning. Kindergarteners are like sponges; they soak up
all the new ideas and information they are given. Wondrously,
they are always excited about learning more.
Secondly, they have very open minds. They do not come to
a lesson already believing there is only one right way to
do something or one right solution to a problem. These children
are excited about trying out new and varied ways of doing
things. They are never locked into one way of thinking.
Thirdly, most five-year-olds are extremely appreciative of
the people who help them or show them affection. They express
this appreciation in such nice ways – usually with smiles,
giggles and hugs. This is why the kindergarten teachers are
still smiling at the end of the day (even if they are just
barely able to stay on their feet).
Then they have a great deal of fun with everything they do.
This is true even of their most simple tasks. They can cut,
paste, and color for hours. These little people find great
satisfaction in the smallest activities of life. Boredom
is not a part of their vocabularies.
Also these children have tremendous trust in others. They
just naturally assume that everyone has their best interest
in mind. Adults to them are people to whom they give their
utmost confidence. What causes this trait to eventually leave?
Perhaps the most appealing traits of the kindergarteners
are their complete acceptance of others. They seem unconscious
of the characteristics that often separate older people.
Skin color, religion, social status, and differences in wealth
go unnoticed by these innocent folks. They have no problem
being a partner of the person who comes from a very different
background. In fact, I do not think they perceive people
have different backgrounds. I also wonder when this thinking
changes.
So I learned a great deal from the five year olds I visited
last week. They helped me recall some of my best qualities
that have worn thin over time. It was great for me to remember
how important it is to be constantly learning, to be open
to new ideas, to show my appreciation to others, to have
fun every day, to trust others, and to realize that we are
all children of God worthy of respect and kindness. When
was the last time you visited a kindergarten class? It is
well worth the effort. Perhaps schools should sell tickets
for kindergarten tours. What a fundraising possibility!
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