Hey guys...all I want is...

I always get tickled when I hear children recount the day.  So many times what we think they perceive and what they actually perceive are two very different things.  My grandson, Parker, started Kindergarten this week.  At the celebratory dinner the firstWe didn't work out.  The coach just talked!  Why is it called a gym if we aren't going to workout? After regaining our composure, we all tried to explain to him about going to the gym at school and how it differed from going to the gym with mom.  I don't think he was convinced.   His background knowledge told him differently.
night we were all peppering him with questions about his day.  First, he wasn't quite sure why we were asking.  After all, we are grown ups, we know about school, so why are we asking.  I think my favorite was him telling us that he thought going to the gym was lame.  Of course we asked why to which he responded,

The second misunderstanding or different perception came when his mom asked him if any of the other kids were nervous.  He quickly replied, yes, me!  We all immediately asked why would he have been nervous.  Parker stated that he was nervous because he couldn't breathe trying to keep that bubble in his mouth!  For those of you not familiar with the bubble and duck tail terms, teachers ask kids to 'put a bubble in their mouth' and have 'ducktails'.  The bubble is simply the child puffing out their cheeks and breathing through the nose thereby keeping them from talking.  A duck tail is when the kids put their hands behind their back.  Personally I think they are silly terms and very hard for small children to do, especially the duck tail.  Their hands don't even reach!   Not sure why we just don't say, don't talk and keep your hands to yourself, but I digress.   Parker obviously was trying not to breathe.   I am sure his teacher assumed the kids knew to keep breathing.  So that he wouldn't be nervous, we practiced that evening.

So that made me think.   What do the kids want, how do they perceive things.   Here's the list.
1. Please remember that I may or may not have been in school before.  This may be my very first time and that's okay.  I know it would make your job easier but in many states preschool and Kindergarten are not required.  So a lot of things you take for granted as an adult, I have no clue.
2.  It may take me more than one attempt to master something.  After all, I haven't been on the earth that long.  I am guessing that even as an adult, it takes you more than one attempt to truly master some things.
3. Just because I may not be very vocal doesn't mean I am not bright.   I may be shy and feel intimidated.  Please be patient with me.  Don't keep putting me on the spot...that just makes me nervous.
4. I may be very good with numbers, but please don't assume I know everything about letters.   I have heard that different areas of the brain develop at different times.
5.  If my birthday is close to the beginning of the year, please do not call me a baby or young '5' or whatever age.  I might not be as old as some of the other children but I am learning,  and who knows, I may be just as bright as the 'older' kids.
6. Likewise, if my birthday is late in the year or the summer, please do not assume I am going to pick everything up easily.   Some things will come easily and some things may not.
7. Some days I may be in a bad mood or not follow the rules.  Discipline me but please be respectful of me.  Don't talk about me to other teachers in front of me.  Guess what, I can hear you!  And don't publicly humiliate me by asking the other children what 'we should do'?
8. If I lose a reward or mess up, please give me a chance to make it up and start over.   Some days I may just come to school grumpy.  I hate for the entire day to be judged on how I walked in.  I think you have walked in grumpy and I gave you a chance.
9. If my mom or dad forget to do something or return something, please don't take it out on me. Don't ask me why they did or didn't do something.  I probably do not know and it will make me feel badly.
10.  I really love when you smile at me and encourage me to do my best.  It makes me feel important and smart.
11.  I really just want you to like me for who I am.   You don't have to love me like my parents do but just like me and be glad I am in your class.