The first thing you will notice when you walk into Ms. Andrews’ kindergarten classroom is how happy her students are. When I arrived they were working in groups doing various literacy exercises. And each and every student was all smiles. Their teacher introduced me and I was greeted with a cheerful chorus of hellos. They then immediately returned to work, eager to share with me what they were learning. If this were a class of middle or high school students, or perhaps even older elementary age students, you likely wouldn’t be witnessing this same enthusiasm.

   It becomes immediately clear that these children don’t love going to school because their days are easy. In just over two and a half hours of class time I observed (not including lunch, recess, and library), they practiced sight words, practiced independent reading, wrote sentences, and completed an entire lab about making and separating mixtures. Much of what they did was independent; after an explanation, they were (for the most part) fully capable of completing their tasks entirely on their own. They are working hard from the moment that they arrive until the moment that they leave--if not at work, then at play.

   What happens to that love of learning as students age? Kindergarten students “just have this natural wonder,” says Ms. Andrews, “everything’s a question, everything’s exciting, and you make it that way. You make a big deal of it.” Teacher assistant Ms. Varone agrees, saying that “if they see that you’re excited to teach it, they’re excited to learn.” Another piece of it is that the students are in a very supportive environment that encourages them rather than chastises them when they are having trouble with a new concept. “Making them feel supported and knowing that they have the help that they need” is crucial to making them stay excited about learning, says Varone.

    Andrews adds that “it’s very hands on, and integrating it with the art and music” is much more interesting than sitting at a desk all day.  But when they get older that goes away, and is replaced with standardized testing, “as much as teachers try” to keep these activities in their classroom. She thinks that sometimes there are “expectations” with different kinds of testing that makes learning more of a chore than an activity that both teachers and students alike can enjoy. “Sometimes, unfortunately, the creativeness goes away, and with little kids we’re so focused on using their learning strengths,” she says, adding that a lot of her students learn visually and by moving, so they do a lot of that in the classroom. But she definitely thinks that “that gets lost as you get older,” and it becomes “a lot more times, but not always...lectures, as opposed to integrating it with art and things like that,” and that it can “take away a little bit of the fun.”

    All of the kids had different answers when asked what their favorite part about school was, and they were all very eager to share. One girl named Laila told me she liked math. Ethan likes centers. Mark likes his friends, and Aubrey likes “fun crafts.” Alivia told me that she liked school because she could learn how to read, “because I don’t know how to read yet,” she said with a giggle. She’s ready to learn, however, and can’t wait to learn that skill. Alayna thought for a minute before answering, and then said, “I don’t know, everything?” Other students nearby agreed, all sharing with each other and myself how much they loved what they do every single day.

    Kindergarten classrooms are such overwhelmingly positive environments, making the students feel like they can do anything. They haven’t been separated into any kind of advanced classes yet. They haven’t yet formed cliques or any other ‘exclusive’ groups--they’re just friends with everyone. They haven’t yet been conditioned to feel like they’re ‘dumb’ when they don’t understand something; instead, they view it as a new and exciting challenge to overcome. They’re not being taught to perform well on a specific test, they’re being taught so that they can learn it for their own benefit. It’s all new to them, and nobody makes them feel like they shouldn’t be excited to be there. And they love it.