Almost Everything I Need to Know About Teaching Children (and Living Life) I Learned from My Kindergartners at Hau'ula

Yes, these are balanced round stones which I see everyday on the drive to Hau'ula. It is really an inspiring sight which reminds me of the importance of focus, determination, and skill which is required to be a successful teacher. (If this doesn't make sense to you, you are probably not in the MIT program so; ask me about the article on "Balancing Round Stones")

Lesson #1: Taking joy and pride in the small and simple things and moments in life. Success doesn't always mean drastic changes and an "all of a sudden" expertise. Sometimes just being invited to play with new friends is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Lesson #2: Help out those around you. If you see someone hanging on he edge; don't be afraid to walk over and give them a boost. You just might help them do something they've never done before.
Lesson #3: Work smarter, not harder. When you work as a team, each person brings something special and unique to the group. When people work all by themselves the outcome is unpredictable and disjointed: teams bring all the pieces together to reveal a comprehensive picture in its entirety. These five children spent both recesses on Friday working on this puzzle together. Lesson #4: Always take pride in a job well done. Maiya here chose to finish coloring her picture about how she uses water instead of watching a movie with the other students. Afterwards she handed it to me and said she just didn't want to stop when it was only half way done. I praised her for her hard work and determination to see it through to the end.

Lesson #5: Be happy! There is so much to see, learn, experience, and laugh about everyday. There is no time to waste being sullen or stuck in a rut of doing the same thing everyday.


Lesson #6: Be yourself. Why try to pretend to be something that you're not or to change yourself for others? JL here was asked to go play soccer with his friends at recess but chose to jump rope "with the girls" instead. He had a great time laughing and jumping. He even jumped twenty times in a row with the rope....which he counted himself!

Lesson #7: Try something new everyday. You just might surprise yourself and those around you! One of my students asked if she could take a picture with my camera....She had never taken a picture before. I was nervous, to say the least, about handing over my camera. But, I showed her how to put the strap around her wrist, where to push the button, and where to look to line up the shot. She took the picture, laughed and said, "that was so cool". Clearly, the picture turned out great!



For more lessons on life and learning from the wonderful world of kindergarten: just ask me. Or, better yet, ask your local five and six year old....he or she can probably explain things much better and more matter of factly than I can!