Weilenmann School of Discovery

by email hidden; JavaScript is required, Kindergarten Teacher

Having gone to high school in a small and quiet Oregon backwater–a mud puddle no doubt left over from all that rain–where little was expected, and even less encouraged, college was a breathtaking experience for me. I found myself facing a veritable smorgasbord of courses, majors, opportunities, and more choices than I knew existed. I gorged on the fare to the point that I had to buckle down and finally forgo the feast in order to graduate–albeit a few terms late (in those days, no one exceeded the four-year schedule). It was the first time I had experienced the utter joy of learning for its own sake; I found it just plain cool to learn new stuff! I went into teaching for selfish reasons: One, to be in a field that would allow me to continually learn, and Two, to be able to share the incredible joy, awe and excitement that knowledge can bring. Teaching has never let me down.

Some have kidded me that teaching first grade and kindergarten is ‘easy’ duty. I mean, how hard is it to teach letter sounds or single digit addition to cute little kids? What I’ve come to realize over the years is that the content itself is secondary. What must come first–and what takes time, patience and finesse–is developing a solid, positive student/teacher relationship. This entails discovering what makes each and every one of my students tick, and how they process and think about themselves; knowing and understanding without judgment their quirks, interests and abilities; and creating an environment of support and trust, so that every kindergartener feels safe and capable of exploring new territory.

This type of environment is key in order for little ones to open themselves up to learning. And that’s when I hook them–with my own passion for learning and knowing things in my world. This is not fake, made up, pretend excitement, because they see right through that. This is the joy I find in an idea, the fascinating maneuvering of army ants, the incredible beauty of molds or crystals, the fun of a date like 11-11-11, or the simple pride of having learned something new. There is no better way for young children to internalize knowledge and learning than by sharing passionate learning with someone they respect. When this happens, it can be absolutely miraculous for both teacher and student. I’ve seen kids so engrossed after discovering the secret to writing those “big numbers,” I had to pull them away to go home. I’ve seen them dance and talk for days upon discovering the enormity and effect of gravity in their lives. I’ve seen their eyes shine and their chests swell with pride when they realize they can actually read and make sense of those squiggly lines we call “letters.”

I have gained so much from my career as a teacher, beyond the gray hair, the myriad wrinkles and the cupcake weight. And the longer I’m involved with students, the more I realize how much there is still to learn, to experience, and ultimately to share. There is an idea that some African peoples hold called ubuntu. It is the idea that we are human only in the context of others, and that growing, developing and learning must be done in a communal setting with the support and shared experience of others. As I have come to see the value of ubuntu in my own life and career, I realize how truly personal this art of teaching is.

New research into how we learn, new ideas on curriculum, and new ways to integrate and present information mean that I can never be done being a student myself. I have new frontiers to conquer. Being in the “really old” category, as one of my students recently informed me, puts me at least a generation away from digital natives. Although I feel somewhat comfortable with computers, all that uploading and downloading, tweeting and twittering makes my head spin. Yet, it also sparks an excitement over how to use all these new-fangled ideas and technology in order to do what I do, which is access and deliver information and learning in ways that are new and exciting, creative and fun, while still being personal, communal and meaningful. It is both a challenge and an opportunity to fuse the best of the Old World with the fresh of the New World–to update and improve, and then to pass it on. In doing so I can continue to share the passion that learning ultimately brings.