And unfold it does, on a daily basis. It is that magic that keeps me coming back and gives me purpose as an educator. Kindergarten is a year that lays a critical foundation for students. Children are taught how to be kind and caring members of our community, learn about the importance of a growth mindset, and ultimately discover a love of learning. 

When a student walks through my front door on the first day of school, filled with nervous excitement, I get the unique opportunity to see their raw potential. The beauty of teaching Kindergarten is that no year is ever the same. Sure, lessons and the curriculum remain consistent, classroom expectations and routines are similar, but the essence of each class is unique. Looking back on all of my years of teaching, it is not the information that I have taught along the way that stands out. Rather, it is the foundations of character that are built through each passing Kindergarten class.  

Character development is a cornerstone of my teaching and a large part of what makes my classroom successful. Through character development, I am able to create a community of learners who are open to new ideas, celebrate similarities and differences, and can learn at their own pace without judgment. We start the year in Kindergarten focusing on the Graland Guidelines: honesty, responsibility, safety, and respect. These are the building blocks for creating our classroom community. Using children’s literature, like Kevin Henke’s book, Chrysanthemum, we begin discussions around kindness, being unique, how to advocate for one’s needs, and identifying who to turn to when you need help. These types of conversations are woven through each day of Kindergarten, regardless of the curriculum goal. It is my belief that if a child feels seen, empowered, and safe during their kindergarten year, the learning comes naturally. 

At Graland, we believe in the importance of a growth mindset. Carol Dweck coined the term that encapsulates the idea that character traits like hard work and perseverance enhance natural ability. When I think about the best teachers I had in elementary school, sadly, I don’t remember the specifics of what they taught me. What I do remember, however, is how they made me feel. I remember reading groups with Ms. Perfect (yes, that was truly her name). I couldn’t wait for my group, The Blue Birds, to be called back to her table. I’m sure during those group sessions she provided multiple mini-lessons on phonemic awareness, word solving, and comprehension strategies. However, what I remember is that she was always smiling, inviting me to experiment with language, and gently guiding me at my own pace. While I did not know this at the time, she was pushing me towards a foundation for a growth mindset. Failure was ok as long as I kept trying. Through practice, perseverance, and attaining foundational skills, I became a reader. It was through her empathy and ability to help me develop those growth mindset traits that made me a better learner and, quite frankly, a better human and adult. At this point in my career, I have had the opportunity to work with students in every grade at Graland. When my past students look back on their time in kindergarten, they may not remember the skills taught or lessons learned. It is my driving purpose, however, that they walked away feeling loved, inspired to work towards their goals, and possessing a growth mindset.

Kindergarten, simply put, is a magical year. The development that occurs from five to six years of age is staggering. I not only get to teach character, but I also get the unique privilege of introducing students to what it means to be a learner. This is not to say that the teachers before me have not been a part of this journey. The foundations that they have set allow me to add on the subsequent blocks. Kindergarten developmentally, however, allows for all of the pieces to solidify. I get to foster friendships, inspire students to become readers or better readers, show mathematicians how to become flexible problem solvers, and help writers believe they have a story to tell and have the skills in place to put it on paper. Most importantly, I get to make learning fun. I would venture to say that most of the learning done in Kindergarten is unrecognizable to the untrained eye. However, it is carefully crafted around one central purpose, fostering a love of learning. There is a lot of school that comes after Kindergarten which, of course, is imperative for success—but instilling a love of learning, the desire to work hard, and showing children how to be the best possible human is truly my purpose as an educator.