Kindergarten, what's lacking? ( just some of them)

I’m back.

Alhamdulillah.

To continue my thoughts on being a kindergarten teacher, I first must make a disclaimer:

I am still young and I know nothing about an adult life. I am still new in the education field. I humbly believe that my writing will invite critics for seniors ( I welcome comments and critics). But please bare in mind, this is just my humble opinion and thoughts. It is not 100% correct and can be widely accepted by everybody. I am writing to express how grateful I feel about having the chance to be with the kids and listen to parents. Being able to sit around teachers and understand their thoughts. Being able to work under a system to understand the expectation people have for kids nowadays.

Okay,, now we shall continue.

Please do not get me wrong.. When I enter my workplace, I do have the intention to teach and guide my students to be better every day. However, my priority for the five-years folks is attitude and character. Yes, I will teach them on how to read, how to count and how to write. I believe, they need to learn, but somehow, I hate to push my students too hard.

So far, my students are having a hard time to focus in class, yet the management is expecting the students to be able to read individually every day. A few weeks ago, we had an examination week. Believe it or not, the five-years have exams- 5 subjects. And their exam questions are like standard 1( seven years old) exam questions.

Out of 15 kids in my class, only two of them were able to do it independently. While all others were struggling and I need to guide each one of them to make sure they can write on the paper. Five-years-old, I wonder do they really expect them to get 100 on the examination? Based on my observation, they don’t need an exam paper, or at least, they don’t need that level of the exam paper.

Am I only who think this way? For God sake, they are just 5-years old, just let them play. Learning is one thing, I have no objection about teaching the to do this and that, but I just can’t be strict and force them to read and write while I know they just really want to play with their friends. I let my students play when they want but actively participate when we have a class activity. 15 minutes of concentration in class is wonderful but two hours of listening and staring at me, I have no idea why we need to force them to do so.

Haha, I realized I am being very emotional when expressing these. I know this time, my writing is hard to follow. But I’ll try to explain why I am thinking this way.

Okay, this:

We, the teachers, have lesson plans and every week, we need to teach and introduce certain things to kids, I am okay with that, but every week, we need to introduce more new things.. Plus, in less than 3 hours a days, we need to recap, introduce new thing( like seriously something really new), and have each individual to read, one person at a time ( I have 15 kids in my class), two books (okay). We need to finish that every single day. I don’t know is it just me or what but, to be honest, that only is a tough job to do.

In less than 3 hours, I need to complete that and you now what’s missing?

1)Student’s curiosity

When I am introducing something new, the students will start asking questions and tell stories, ( imagine how slow students speaks sometimes, and how hard for me to understand what they really mean). Personally, I hate to tell them to keep quiet while I am teaching, I rather answer each of them and encourage them to speak. But do I have time for that? NO! And what happens when I entertain them? → my reading record is incomplete → Management will blame you ( tell you how bad you are at handling your class and time)

2) Student’s creativity

In their age, kids are supposed to develop creativity and us as teachers should encourage them to do so. However, when a teacher needs to rush things, I believe we won’t bother to let students show their creativity. We are being too strict on how things should be done ( because the principal and management already put things into places.) Being a teacher, I hate to force and push my students to do thing just in one way... Well, we know in life there are the different path to a destination. Come on, they are 5 years old, why do we need to be too firm on them?

3) Student’s self-esteem

I believe, in this day and age, most parents are busy with their job and hardly have time to be with their kids. Effective communication is becoming rare at home, sadly. I realize how bad children were being treated at home today. When they are excited to tell a story, the parent won’t listen. When they are asking the question, the parents are not eager to answer. How sad. But that’s the reality. Therefore, to me, why must we do the same at school? Why must we kill their self-confident when they are at school? Let them try to make their decision, don’t scare them, guide them. Don’t ask them to keep quiet and shut up, but rather entertain them up till a point where we know they need to now listen to us.

Unfortunately, we kill the important aspects in them that need to be developed. We are rushing thing on them and they are now stressed as a 5 years old. While in fact, what they are supposed to be doing is just play. Unless they are hurting or bothering their friends, being out of control, we need to train them. But seriously, why must we urge them to read and write and know everything at that age?

Just like one of the parents said to me:

I won’t push my son too hard because even if he scores excellently in his test, he won’t get anywhere either. Even if he is the best student here in terms of academic, nothing will change but he will look back and realize how stressful his childhood was. I am not hoping him to be genius, but just as good human being with moral values. I hate to see my so one day as someone smart academically but have no respect for others. I send him here to build his character because when he grow up, I won’t be able to shape him then. But knowledge, he will still have time for that.

That being said, I appreciate my experience at my workplace, but I am confident that I won't be teaching there for too long.. Sooner or later, I will change my direction.