Over the 20 years of teaching children, I have come to realise that teachers have this
wonderful opportunity to learn from those they teach. Here are 10 lessons I have learnt from the children I have taught over the years.
Lesson 1: Be Present
It is said that the present moment is a gift for us to enjoy and it is. When we are present and in this moment we get to experience the moment totally. What makes childhood so special and how we remember details of our experiences so vividly, is because we were totally present in that moment. We felt all our emotions at that moment. Children live totally in the present moment. They have no sense of time. We teach time to children. Living in the present moment is truly a gift.
Lesson 2: Play and laugh a lot it counts
Childhood is all about playing, having fun, laughing and enjoying our friends and whatever we are doing. It’s while we are playing and having fun that we learn a great deal about ourselves and others. What we like or don’t like. What we love doing and what don’t like doing. We use our imagination and come up with good ideas. We learn that being silly makes others laugh. Making others laugh lightens our world. Laughter and being playful
can change situations instantly.
Lesson 3: Creativity can change a mistake into a masterpiece
One morning in the classroom one of the little girls was colouring in her picture happily. She loved to take time over her pictures, selecting the colours and colouring skilfully. That
morning one of the friends decided to bump the little girl causing a rather big scribble in the middle of her picture. The little girl cried out that her picture was ruined. To save the day I consoled the little girl by telling her we would see how we could make the mistake into a masterpiece. Simply by adding colours here and there we were able to change the picture into a masterpiece. That day we learnt that a mistake can be an opportunity to do something new and wonderful. It was a good lesson for all of us.
Lesson 4: Realise it takes time
We all have to get started. Everything starts at the beginning and it takes time to get to the end result. In our instant world of gratification, we often forget about the process. It takes time to learn, it takes time to practice over and over to gain a new skill and then to master it. It takes time, it’s a process. Slow down and give yourself time. Every year I teach children skills that are valuable to their future. Learning to write, cut
with a scissor, toilet train, eat by yourself etc. These might seem like simple skills to
master but when you are 2 or 3 years old they are huge. I often marvel at a child that
picks up a scissor for the first time and they can’t imagine how this piece of equipment works and what it does. It’s a process to teach them. The reward comes when they are capable and skilful. It’s important to remember to just get started and the rest will follow. Allow the process to unfold in its time. Practice does indeed make perfect.
Lesson 5: Stand out and dress up
In playschool, we have this wonderful opportunity for the first 7 years of our life to dress up in whatever clothes we love or whatever colours we like. Nothing has to match. Nothing has to go together. It’s all about what I love to wear. If we want to dress up like Spiderman or Princess Poppy then let’s do it. It makes us happy. It’s fun. It brings joy to our friends. It makes us stand out from the crowd.
Dr Seuss said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?“. That is so true and it all starts
in playschool.
Lesson 6: Connect and make friends wherever you go
Children have this wonderful ability to just connect with other children wherever they go and make friends. They meet new children and start playing then laughing and it
becomes a lovely day. That’s how easy it is. Each connection with someone makes our life richer. We just need to step out and make the connection.
Lesson 7: Step out of your comfort zone
Often we are uncertain or not willing or ready to step out of our comfort zone. Yet children are daily stepping out of their comfort zones.
- learning to sit, stand, walk and run
- Learning to eat
- Learning to toilet
- Learning to write
- Learning new skills
- Making new friends
It all seems easy but not so when you are little. It is a milestone for the child. Children show us you have just got to keep going till you get there. It’s not always comfortable but it’s doable.
Lesson 8: Never underestimate, all that one can learn on a playground
I never realised the valuable lessons we can learn on a playground until I became a teacher. Children are playing, some are running around, some are sitting and talking to each other in the sandpit, some are using their imagination that makes up a wonderful game and some are quietly swinging. This is play in action. I stand and observe. What is being learnt? Social skills, sharing, caring, communication,
helpfulness, resourcefulness, boundaries, reaction, action, response, problem-solving,
teamwork, patience, self-control, conflict handling, emotional intelligence, friendship, those friends that are challenging, good ideas, curiosity, decision making and thinking things through. We also learn to use our bodies actively by running, swinging, climbing and jumping. We are learning all the time while we are playing and having fun. That is the best way to learn. We learn by imitating others. We learn by connecting and engaging with others. We learn through creativity. We learn through nature and animals. We learn by using our
imagination and through role play. This is what builds our value system and our character. It is through our experiences that our perceptions are formed. Every minute of every day
we are engaged in learning.
Lesson 9: We can learn a great deal from children’s storybooks
I love reading children stories. It opens up a whole new world to them. It ignites their curiosity and
imagination. Good ideas come from stories and I never thought of that or that’s clever. Stories can take us away to faraway lands or transport us to fantasy lands that build our imagination. It helps us to think out of the box. It opens up possibilities for us. Some stories are so funny that we all laugh out loud, some stories can fill our hearts with love, some stories speak to our hearts and some stories challenge us whilst others inspire us.
I love reading to the children and watch their reactions to the stories. I love to interact
with children whilst reading them a story. Engaging with children in this way teaches them about themselves and others. Puppets are another way of telling stories to children. Children always light up to puppets in a very special way. It’s a great way for them to learn. Go out and read some stories to the children in your world. It will fill your heart with joy.
Lesson 10: It’s the little things in life that count so don’t miss them
Our lives are constantly busy and moving, that at times it’s hard to catch our breath.
Children have helped me stop and look at all the little things going on in our world that are things that count.
Here is a list of a few:
- stop and look at a beautiful flower and smell it especially if it’s a sweet-smelling rose
- a warm lingering hug from a child
- cute things kids say
When we take time to do something slowly. Bake a cake with kiddies. Take a slow walk in the forest noticing all the little insects, leaves, trees etc. When we cuddle together under a blanket and read a story. It is all these little things that make meaningful memories and when your child is grown
up, it will be these things you will remember the most.
