"Oh, I Learned That in Kindergarten!"

Joanne Hall

Let me tell you about a little boy who seemed to have learned, in kindergarten, everything he needed for life. We came to that conclusion because for years after K5, he was always coming forth with astounding bits of knowledge - things we did not know he knew. We, his parents, would say, "How did you know that?" He would say in response, "Oh, I learned that in kindergarten." Was his K5 teacher good? She was! The teacher obviously knew how to bring about permanent learning. She must have been able to relate her teaching to his little life, because children learn permanently only what they can relate to. Teachers, keep this in mind if you want your teaching to stay with your students.

The kindergarten teacher of whom I speak demonstrated another ability that makes a good teacher. She knew her students. We know that because in our first parent-teacher conference, the first words out of her mouth were, "Your son has a beautiful singing voice." I've thought of that statement many times over these twenty-some years, because in six weeks this kindergarten teacher, even though this boy did all the K5 things well, had pinpointed the talent that would shape his adult life - music. How did she know that?

Teachers, your first goal when you get a new class should be to find something in each student that he does really well - to get to know your students. Get to know them so well that you can almost predict what careers they will follow. You ask, "How do I get to know a student that well?" You do this by planning activities that bring out a great variety of abilities - not just abilities that lend themselves well to a desk and paper. This K5 teacher didn't limit activities to desks and paper; that's how she uncovered this "beautiful singing voice." Have you uncovered the musician in your room? How about the meteorologist? the artist? the story teller? the attorney? the politician? the teacher? the writer? the reporter? the sportswriter? the preacher? the policeman? the veterinarian? the cartoonist? the scientist? the nurse? "How do I discover all these?" You keep asking volunteers to do this or that. You vary assignments of your students until each one's real talent comes out. You get to know your students.

Another reason this lady's teaching lasted is that she knew how to make her students think and she knew how to make them want to learn. No, this boy didn't become an Edison or a Mozart, but he has never stopped thinking or wanting to learn more. "Okay" you say, "How do I teach my students to think?" You do this by filling your students' days with discussion, discovery, and daring opportunities to find out more. You ask questions and teach them to ask question. If a student asks "What?" You answer with "What do you think?" If a student asks "Why?" you say, "Let's find out." If he says, "I don't understand." you say, "Think about it." You challenge them to challenge you. And you make this discussion, discovery, and these opportunities so much fun that learning overshadows any other activity.

What this kindergarten teacher did, you can do. If you make your teaching relate to your students' lives, if you know each student and build on his special talent, and if you teach your students to think and that learning is enjoyable, your teaching will last also. A got a note from a former student just this week (she is now teaching). Her closing comment was, "Mrs. Hall, you will always be part of my teaching." Let's see, does always mean lasting?

Reprinted from Balance, a publication of the School of Education, Bob Jones University. Used with permission of Bob Jones University. Please write BJU Press, for permission to reproduce this article.