being kids

When I was in college learning how to be an effective Kindergarten teacher, I was always asked what my classes were about. I took a lot of child psychology courses and child development courses, but the main question I was asked was, "Are you learning how to play with sand and playdough or learning how to paint with primary colours?" At first I was defensive wondering if that is all people thought that Kindergarten teachers do. However, in learning those things I also learned that Kindergarten children learn by doing. They learn social skills as they play side by side with other children, they learn how to play fair, to make positive choices, to share feelings and stories in front of others which builds their confidence. The list could go on and on. Children learn by doing....and in my classroom children also learn by being. They learn to be who God made them to be and bring their own self to every aspect of the classroom. They get to be kids! They get to be loved! And they get to be real!