Most of my teaching career was spent teaching preschool and kindergarten children. By the time my students were grown they had long since forgotten the teachers from their earliest years. That’s fine. I don’t think most teachers are in it to be remembered. I mean, it’s nice when it happens, but it’s not the point.
When you teach you are absolutely in the moment with that group of students. It’s hard to be anything other than on, on, on when young children live in the world of now, now, now. But when you experience moments of rest and reflection you do think about things like overall goals. What are your long term aspirations for these kids? What are you hoping to bring out in them? What do you want them to carry with them after your time together?
I used to talk to parents at conference time about three things:
- Capacity for enjoyment
- Curiousity
- Willingness to take risks
Most of those parents came in overly concerned with these things:
- ABCs
- 123s
- Pre writing fine motor skills
Yes, I’d assure them, we are working on all those things but I don’t want to overlook those first things because they will be essential for as long as they live.
I was playing the long game. These kids will have a life far beyond me. What kind of a life do I wish for them? What magic beans will I carefully place into the metaphorical drawstring pouch that they will carry on their way?
An interesting twist of fate for me is that social media has made it possible for me to find out how some of those long-ago students are doing. It’s fascinating and sometimes humbling. A kid whose behavior just about broke me has become a filmmaker for National Geographic. Another who had no interest in listening or following directions has become a nurse. She cared for COVID patients in those early pre-vaccine days and has now transitioned to working in oncology. In both cases I look back and think I probably didn’t fully understand those little people and could have been a better teacher for them.
I think it’s important to realize that. It’s true that in the moment you do the best you can. But perspective shows you glimpses of where you might have been better. Without perspective you lack the opportunity to grow and improve.
Of course these realizations have come pretty late for me, but, they’re still worth having in the here and now. In those moments of struggles with other people there exists the possibility that I’m not seeing something or that I’m just too sure that I know what’s right. Can I learn from all this? I hope so.
So today I’m thinking of all of those kids whether I know where they are or not. I don’t care what kind of a career they have or whether they are making a lot of money: I’m proud of them for being who they are. Filmaker, nurse, ballet dancer, French pastry baker, up-and-coming DJ, social worker, rocket scientist and Air Force pilot and so many, many more.
Wherever you go, don’t forget to carry those Magic Beans with you: capacity for enjoyment, curiousity, willingness to take risks. And if you get the chance to gain some perspective, don’t pass it by.
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