...more like, All I Need to Know, I Learned While Teaching Kindergarten!

After having taught kindergarten for two years, I realize that those little five- and six-year-olds can teach us adults as much as we can teach them.  By observing the behaviors and thought processes of the "kindernuggs" (as I often called them), I have learned how to effectively deal with little things that stress me everyday.  Here are some of the things that I learned:

Always Take Time for Recess.We all know that exercise and being active is good for stress management.  When my kindergartners were getting restless and cranky, often the best solution was a recess break.  Instead of running around the classroom, it was much better for them to run around on the playground.  Even a quick ten minute break was enough to get their little brains back to working order!  As a teacher, I constantly remind myself to consistently make exercising a part of my daily routine.  Whether it is running for five miles or going for a fifteen minute walk, I have found that these times help me to gather my thoughts and take a break from all the stresses of work.

Say What's on Your Mind.If one kindergartner does something that another kindergartner doesn't like, the whole class knows about it.  Why?  Because five-year-olds have not yet learned how to constructively deal with problems.  They think that screaming and shouting will help their situation.  That is where we teachers come in...right?  I find that a lot of the things I teach my students in terms of social skills, I need to also teach myself!  Teachers are working in a building with several other adults and we all need to be able to interact with each other effectively.  When a colleague of mine sees something differently than me or is bothering me somehow, it doesn't help anyone when I just keep it inside and grow more and more resentful of that person.  Engaging in a positive conversation (rather than screaming and shouting like a five-year-old), is a lot more effective than letting the stress of the other person's behavior eat away at you.

Don't Hesitate to Ask Questions.As a teacher, especially a newer one, I know that there are things I have yet to learn about my colleagues, students, building, community, etc.  I have to realize that I don't know everything already and that I will always be learning throughout my career.  When my kindergartners asked me a question that I didn't know the answer to, they were shocked!  "Mr. Sargent, you don't know everything in the whole wide world?  And you're a teacher?!"  I teach my students that even teachers don't know everything and that it is so important to always pursue learning.  Instead of being stressed out about not knowing all the answers to your questions, realize that this is part of the teaching process.  How can we teach our students to fall in love with learning if we think we have the capability to simply stop learning ourselves?

Don't Dwell on the Negative Things.Nobody is perfect.  I have noticed in my first three years of teaching that there is often a lot of emphasis on what we are doing "wrong" or what is "not happening effectively."  What if every time our students made a mistake we pointed it out and held it over their heads?  Teachers strive to find the positives in their students in order to make them feel successful no matter what.  Why can't we do that for ourselves, also?  My kindergartners were so good about not getting frustrated when they made mistakes.  On a handwriting page full of awful 'Q's, a student would point at the one they made beautifully and feel so accomplished.  Teachers need to find the time to stop thinking about everything going wrong and reflect on everything going right.

I will be honest and admit that I was terrified about teaching kindergarten at first.  I had always seen myself as an upper elementary teacher and never once had the idea of teaching a primary grade, let alone kindergarten, entered my mind.  However, after experiencing two wonderful years of teaching the kindernuggs, I can again be honest and say that I loved every minute of it.  I learned more from those eager kids than any of my formal education classes on teaching.

Never forget: "In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn."

Andrew Sargent