As I look over my class of kindergarteners, I realize each one is unique and different. Each one is like a different color of crayon in a box of crayons. My box of crayons has an unlimited amount of colors. Some are short. Some are tall. Some have brown eyes and some have green. Some like to talk while others enjoy sitting there quietly listening to other. No matter their difference or likenesses, each is uniquely their own person. As the year goes on, I grow to love each of these "crayons" for the beautiful color they are.
I love teaching. I LOVE teaching kindergarten. I belong there among those crayons. No matter the color, each crayon accepts and loves the other crayons for who they are. They don't judge. I can be as silly and weird as I want in front of these crayons and they still love me for who I am. They like to laugh, they like to learn, they like to have fun, they like to be a friend and they like to be their own unique color just as much as I do.
I used to think kindergarten was all about learning the ABCs and 123s. When I first started teaching, I thought of all the academics I could teach them. I quickly learned (in the first 3 minutes to be exact) that Kindergarten is more than that. It is learning to be a good friend, learning how to follow rules and proceedures, it is learning the ABC and 123s, it is discovering what kind of color you want to be, it is about loving and respecting each other for the colors they choose to be.
I love that kindergarteners can only concentrate on a single topic for about 10-15 minutes! I love that they get excited for each new thing. I love the "light bulb" effect. You know, that moment when all they have been learning finally clicks and they get it! They smile and say, "I get it! I know how to do this!" I love they way they write. The pictures they draw. I love their stories. The funny things they say, only to them it is really serious business. I love they way they smile and laugh. I love the way the discover new things. And...really, I love them! Each child, each student, is a unique color of crayon in my little box of crayons. Each color is just as important as the other colors and together we make our own beautiful rainbow.
