Well, I am going to be completely honest here. Kindergarten seems quite unproblematic to me. Teaching children how to write properly, multiplication, division, addition, etc. seems fun to me (I know, my fun is quite different compared to others, I get it). Not only is it fun for me to teach children, but I strive to give my students a safe space to be themselves and learn in the best way they can (even if their way is different in comparison to other students).
Here’s a picture of my great aunt and I (aka Granny Jan) right after I graduated high school. Although she passed not too long ago, she has always been an inspiration for me with her love for children and overall, others in general. I never met a person she did not love. You could have done her wrong 100 times, and she would still say, “it’s okay, I still love you.” There is actually one specific event that I can recall that included Granny Jan that showed her true love for children. The event that I can recall is when my family and I, including some of my sisters’ closest friends, were at Pizza Inn (this is back home in Illinois), for a surprise party for my sister because she had gotten into Murray State University (at this time, we thought she was going to be attending MSU). We were in the party room, but there was also another table where a different party was taking place. This couple had a baby with them and this baby had not stopped crying for at least half an hour by this point. Mind you not, Granny Jan had Alzheimer’s and dementia. Because of this, she had no idea that we did not know this couple or this child. We had taken our eyes off of Granny Jan for a few seconds and next thing we know, she walked right up to the couple with the baby and said “come here honey” to the baby. The baby automatically raised its arms and Granny Jan picked up the baby. The baby automatically stopped crying when he was in her arms and layed his head on her chest. I decided to mention this event because I have always believed babies are in a way, the same as dogs, they can sense how good or bad a person is. Granny Jan was the type of person that even if she was able to understand that we did not know this couple or the baby, she would have still offered to help. The couple was young and looked exhausted. Although Granny Jan did not understand the situation correctly, her heart was always in the right place. This is how I want to be when teaching, always have my heart in the right place. I want to be like Granny Jan.
May Granny Jan RIP.
Honestly, I could go on for hours about why I chose to teach kindergarten. My inspirations for teaching, especially about Granny Jan. But simply, I will just put it like this. When you are teaching children, you are teaching the future of your world. You are teaching future doctors, future first responders, etc. It is a privilege to teach children that no one should take for granted. I am honored with the possibility to teach children, and I will always strive to not take it for granted.