Reflecting on Thirty-Four Years of Teaching

Those of you who know me well know that this school year has been a real struggle, to put it lightly! I've always believed that God never gives us more than we can handle and He must have had a lot more faith in me than I did in myself.

The year started off with a new-to-me- district nearby, going from two half-day classes of four-year olds to a full-day class of four-year olds. I was skeptical that four-year olds could handle full-day preschool. However, my sweet children rose to the task and I ended up absolutely loving it! Building those always-important relationships with kids, and their families, is so much easier when you have the kids all day. What made it even better is that the school and district administration support play-based education! As our State Commission of Education, Dr. Randy Watson, said at a conference I attended, “I believe that every child under the age of eight years old should have a play-based education.” AMEN!!

The tough part was that our district was part of a collaborative agreement with another entity. While our district was very flexible, the other group was not. I found myself battling their procedures and practices at every turn. Every turn! I have twenty-one pages of documentation. Some of what this entity stood for, in theory, is right and noble. The way that they were going about enforcing their policies and agenda, not so much. It was SO tough and much for what they wanted me to do was that ugly old monster,”that's the way it's always been done,” and no one could show me where it was a policy. I ended up on high blood pressure medication and more frequent visits to my amazing chiropractor to get rid of the tension in my neck and shoulders. Were it not for my prayerful, sweet mentor, and the amazing and supportive staff in the building and district offices, I'm not sure I would have lasted the year. It was that bad!

     And oh, my gosh!! Let's not forget the children! I was blessed with some of the sweetest children to ever have graced this Earth! Their smiles and their eagerness to learn made coming to work each day a blessing and something to look forward to. They truly LOVE to learn and made it so easy to teach them more. And crafts?? They loved doing crafts! “Mrs. Jenkins! What's our craft today?!?” They wanted to create and had a blast doing it! I feel that what they loved the most about crafts was that I gave them permission to be different. What they created didn't have to look just like mine. They were free to use their imaginations, and that was okay!

     At the end of the school year, we had a celebration, and our class of preschoolers rose to the occasion once again! We recited The Pledge of Allegiance with our families, sang our Days of the Week Song, followed by two songs, Dr. Jean's "May There Always Be Sunshine" and Jack Hartmann's "One Small Voice" with sign language, and finally, The Kindergarten Rap. Then we shared punch and cookies with our families. The children were precious!

     Year thirty four taught me to trust in my abilities and lean on my tribe and lastly, to never, ever, forget my “why.”

 

It's Up to Us!

     I got an email the other day. It was entitled “You have the power to change a child's life.” I thought to myself, “Yes! This is what teaching is all about.” Teachers are tasked with making a difference in the lives of the children in their classes each and every year. Not just the children they WANT to have, but each and EVERY child that walks through their door.

     The startling facts are that some of our students have a less than idyllic life at home. There is poverty, substance abuse, joblessness, and a myriad of other events going on in their homes that takes away from them just being a kid. Many are handed a screen to keep them occupied, rather than healthy, family conversations. Many go to bed with a television blaring in their rooms, rather than cuddling with an adult, calming down from a busy day of being a kid, and hearing a bedtime story. Many have parents who are “just too busy” to spend quality time with their children.

     This is where teachers come in. We can't fix what's happening in their homes. But what we can do is provide our students with a place where they can learn, explore, and be challenged all while being loved, supported, and safe. We can let them be a kid without baggage. Just let them be little!!

     The email I received last week made me think of a student I had in kindergarten a while back. After Christmas Break, the children were all so excited to tell me what they got, that I had to stop what I “thought” was important and just let them take turns sharing. Little did I know that this would be such a memorable activity for everyone in the class! I am changing this particular child's name to “Adam”for his privacy. Here is his story:

     “Adam” is one of three children and the middle child. Mom was volatile and in a volatile relationship. All three children slept on the floor and were usually awakened by screaming matched between the adults in the home every night. Grandparents stepped in when they could or were allowed to. Fast forward to the day after Christmas Break. As we went around the Sharing Circle and each child shared about their Christmas gifts, we came to “Adam.” The question I had asked each child in the room was, “What was your favorite thing about Christmas Break?” (knowing that some of my students would not get the high-dollar items that others did. This gave them an opportunity to share anything they felt was special).

“Adam,” who didn't share much on a regular basis, launched into the most beautiful story I have ever heard from a young child! He told his friends about his favorite Christmas memory. It was a story about cuddling up in a rocking chair with his grandma while she read him the “real story about Christmas,” and watching the snow fall. As he told the story, the rest of the children got very quiet, their eyes were huge! It was almost as if they were in that rocking chair, cuddled under a blanket with him. 

 For me, this was the affirmation of what I believe: children don't really want things. They want time. If they aren't getting time at home, we can, and should, give them time at school. It's all about relationships!