When I think about the teacher I want to be, I envision Paley and her kindergartners, acting out stories they have written and having conversations about things that matter. I want to form this community and establish the relationships that she describes.
Then I go to the kindergarten class I am volunteering in. I have a plan every Thursday to go in and connect with the children, to teach them the math they are supposed to learn in a way that they will find fun. When I get there, I'm given worksheets and coins, and told that they must complete the page before they can go out to recess. We have so little time, and the object of the lesson becomes getting them to just get it done, because I hate the idea of keeping them in for recess, especially on the first beautiful day of the year.
I keep thinking that it will be different when I have my own classroom. I will make those decisions. But then I overhear the teacher talking to the paraeducator about another mathsheet, and realize that the decision to give the worksheet isn't hers at all, it's coming from the adminstration.
A mom asks me before I leave how her daughter is doing with her reading; she has enrolled her in a tutoring program after receiving a letter from the school saying that she is behind in both reading and math.
When did reading and math become required learning for kindergarteners? How can it be healthy for kids this young to be forced to learn concepts that might be beyond their ability?
As I leave, I watch the half-day kindergartners line up to go home. They are talking about missing out on the birthday cupcakes that just showed up. But I wonder if it's a fair trade-off to them, because they certainly don't look like they'd rather stay. And I wonder if half-day kindergarten will eventually be eliminated.
Thanks for sharing! It's truly amazing that we have kindergartners doing worksheets and being labelled as behind in subjects. How are we supposed to ignite a fire for our students to learn when they're being asked to sit still and complete worksheets? I loved reading about Paley's experiences in a kindergarten class because it showed me the ways in which you can inspire young learners while still allowing them to have fun.
ReplyDeleteI know, the expectations for 5 year olds seems so high! It's great for the ones who are ready, but what about the ones who aren't there yet? They are sure to catch up, but telling kids at this age that they aren't keeping up is a pretty dangerous label we're attaching.
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