Critical Incident

June 13th , 2011

Worried to Writing

Write, write, write.  What to write?  Why do I teach kindergarten? I teach kindergarten because I love being greeted every morning by smiling faces. Those enthusiastic good mornings and expectant looks. It amazes me how resilient these little ones are. What I felt as drudgery from the day before they are ready to tackle again with enthusiasm.  Maybe that is another reason I teach kindergarten. I get to feel the world through them. I get to share their excitement when they learn new skills and celebrate with them when they have struggled with something and finally get it.
Kindergarten is a rewarding grade to teach. The growth and learning from August to May is vast. They come to kindergarten wide eyed and worried. Worried about being away from their family, worried about what will happen if they have to go to the bathroom and worried about when they will be picked up. Very few of them know what a line is let, alone how to get in one. They carry their lunch trays with a death grip and big anxious eyes. Will I sit at the right table? What do you mean you’re not eating with me?
In a few weeks most of them have the rules and routines down. Many get through the day with few reminders of where they need to be and what they need to be doing at any particular time. Most of the worrying is done. They have begun to feel comfortable and secure in the classroom and are able to carry a lunch tray and carry on a conversation at the same time. Finally, I can get down to business and impart my “knowledge”.
Oh, and the amount of knowledge that needs to be shared and absorbed! It is a good thing their little brains are like sponges. First there are all these lines, squiggles and dots on the paper. Some are connected and some are not. They have names and the correct names for this collection is of utmost importance. When correct names are learned then there are the corresponding sounds.
This collection of  lines, squiggles, dots and sounds not only have to be recognized they have to be manufactured into a product. A product that conveys meaning. They tell their stories. They illustrate their stories. They sound out their words. Writers Workshop is no longer a quiet time filled with drawing and coloring. They are listening to the sounds in their words. The words are broken apart and put back together. Then their little hands and brains struggle as they try to get the correct lines, squiggles, dots and corresponding sounds down on paper.  It is not an easy task, but they practice.
Everyday they write. They write stories about their lives, “This weekend I went to the Beach…I had pancakes for breakfast… I love my mom she is…” They write facts about their favorite animals, “Bats sleep upside down… Polar Bears are white…Sharks have sharp teeth…”  They write procedures, How to dive…How to make popcorn…How to hold your baby brother…”
Soon they are sitting in the Authors Chair sharing their writing with their classmates. This is a very popular chair. All during writing time they ask, “Can I share today?” They want to tell their stories and share their information. They are proud of their hard work. We share, we encourage, and we celebrate.
Gone are the worried eyes and the death grip on the lunch tray. In their place are smiling eyes and a new found sense of confidence. Write, write, write. What will I write today?