Kindergarteners

I love kids of all ages, including my friend Bo who is 6’3” and weighs 240. However, the curriculum and instruction of kindergarteners just isn’t my calling. I do have a college diploma that says I am an expert in early childhood learning, but I keep thinking about that time I taught my four year old nephew how to use the microwave. I kept waiting to hear that my brother’s cat had been nuked to death, but I guess I got lucky and my nephew forgot how to use the microwave.

I substituted in many a kindergarten classroom, and here is a typical incident that made me want to teach them, though. The teacher had left me instructions to show the children a video. I turned it on and got down on the floor with them.

After a few minutes I noticed one of the girls was watching me. I nodded to the screen and made head and face motions for her to watch the video, but no, every time I looked over at her, she was watching me.

Then I noticed that she started to move ever so slightly closer to me. Slowly, slowly, ever so slowly she advanced. It took ten minutes for her to move half the distance to me. I looked over at her and smiled and she picked up the speed. In only a couple of minutes she was right next to me. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, she took one hand and barely touched me. Then she slowly rested her hand on my knee. Then slowly, very slowly, she wound up with her head on my lap and promptly fell asleep.

Kindergarteners always hugged me goodbye at the end of the day. Kindergarteners.