Mom Is Teaching

I taught in public schools in 92-93, again in 95-98, again in 00-01, and finally in 05 I called it quits.  Then, we bought the daycare.  I think it is important to note that all of those years except 95-96, and 00-01 and 05, I was teaching young children.  In 2000 and 2001, it  was pre-K in Georgia, other than that and the stint in the classroom one year teaching Earth and Life Science and one year teaching Biology…I taught physical education (which is where my teaching certificate is active) for grades Kindergarten thru Eighth grade and I coached at least 3 sports each year and sometimes I had cheerleader responsibility as well.

Now, with that background, my “tag line” for kindergarten children went something like this….

“….they should be at home with their mothers, they come in here in August and they leave in May and I can’t tell they have learned one doggone thing, they come back the next year as first graders and it is like magic, they know how to follow the rules and everything…”

Now, given, that sounds a bit harsh and I can’t say that the 40 year old mom of 2 agrees with the 22 year old single woman of yore but, the facts remain, kindergarten is a rough year.  (I won’t tell you that I think sixth grade girls and ninth grade boys should be sent to Mars for a year and returned when they have lost the attitude and the stink, but that’s for another story.)

And, in case you guys haven’t noticed, I’m referencing the Ladies Home Journal alot this week.  That’s what happens when I have to sit in doctor’s offices for hours on end. 

According to the author of the article

Learning Guide to Kindergarten

“As the year progresses, these five- and six-year-olds begin to develop the ability to wait, to understand the notion that you defer an act in order to do something else. They also grow in their capacity to listen to directions — and actually follow them, as requested”

and if you read what I wrote above, you know I beg to differ.  They do not learn it in the nine months, or they learn it, they just don’t employ it until that magical summer between Kindergarten and First Grade.  I kid you not, just try 60 kindergarten kids for 30 minutes in a gym where another teacher has 60 kindergarten kids of his own on the other end…yea, they do not learn to use these skills until they return in the fall, just trust me on this one.