What's it like to teach kindergarten?
We asked our kindergarten teachers from all three schools to give us a glimpse of what teaching kindergarteners is like today and what keeps them motivated to instill the mission of providing our scholars with a faith-based education. Read below to find out more from our wonderful kindergarten teachers!
Grace Donovan, St. Peter Claver Catholic School
What has been the most memorable part of this school year?
The most special and memorable part of this school year has been the gift of this spring! It has been a true joy being able to do all of the fun, silly end of the school year activities with my sweet kindergarten friends (especially since we missed out on this last year because of the pandemic!).
Scarlett Wand, St. John Paul II Catholic School
How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching since 2010. I have taught Kindergarten, First, and Second grades. I also taught a little bit of high school French.
What have you learned from teaching kindergarteners?
That’s too hard to answer! I think I learn something new all of the time from them. Every year I learn the important things to them. They keep me young and always thinking about how to make learning like playing. You don’t have to be super serious to learn. There are so many ways we play throughout the day with silly character voices, math games, and social skills.
What has been the most memorable part of this school year?
I think our favorite memory as a class was making vegetable stew together during our plant unit. They LOVED growing their lima beans and observing the changes each day.
What is your favorite lesson/subject to teach?
I love teaching math because it is so applicable to their daily lives AND there are lots of fun ways to learn it with games. I also like reading to them and doing character voices. Hearing their laughter makes this job great!
What is the best part about your job?
I love seeing the scholars’ growth from the beginning of the year to the end. It is AMAZING how much growth they have (physically, emotionally, and academically). I love seeing the look of pride on their face when they overcome a challenge too.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
I wish I had the energy of five and six year olds! It’s a good thing I get a good night’s sleep each night to keep up with them!
Many ACA teachers view their job as mission-focused. What does that mean to you?
I think that God has put everyone on Earth to live in His image. I believe that one of my purposes in life and in this job is trying to model this. I am trying to help raise another generation to appreciate others and contribute to society in a positive way. It’s great that in Catholic schools we can share our faith and talk about Jesus’ teachings. We can raise kids with a strong foundation built on biblical truths that they can bring to the people that they encounter throughout their lives.
Michele Klein, Ascension Catholic School
How long have you been teaching?
Fall of 2021 will start my 39th year of teaching.
What have you learned from teaching kindergarteners?
Teaching kindergarteners has taught me to be patient, firm but gentle, and to laugh at myself, because they call you out if you make an error.
What is your favorite lesson/subject to teach?
I enjoy teaching all the subjects but enjoy Religion the most because I get to share the Love of God with my students. We read through the whole Children’s Bible in a school year. They really pick up on if you do it. God’s way life is better after reading the Old Testament stories.
What is the best part about your job?
The best part of my job is seeing the delight in my scholars when they understand a new concept or accomplish a new skill.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is getting in all the fun lessons and learning in the time we have together.
Many ACA teachers view their job as mission-focused. What does that mean to you?
I think of my job as a Mission because I feel I was called by God to be here at Ascension to share my talents and to help the families on their scholar journey through education. I have found that I have been more than blessed by the relationships with the scholars and families throughout my time here also.
Jamie Michel, Ascension Catholic School
How long have you been teaching?
This is my eighth year teaching at Ascension, and 10th year teaching overall.
What have you learned from teaching kindergarteners?
I have learned that you have to be ready to roll with the punches. Sometimes lessons don’t always go as planned, and kindergarteners can be the funniest, thoughtful, most joyful people to be around.
What has been the most memorable part of this school year?
The day we all came back to in person learning in January, all of the scholars were so excited to be back in the building. A couple of scholars were just coming for the first time all year, and it was so much fun to see the joy on their faces when they came into the classroom and saw their teachers and friends in person!
What is your favorite lesson/subject to teach?
I love teaching science. We learn about plants every spring, and we plant bean seeds and observe their growth each day for a couple of weeks. It’s so much fun to see the scholars’ excitement when their seeds sprout.
What is the best part about your job?
Kindergarteners love coming to school and they love learning. Their enthusiasm for learning is contagious and fun to be around.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Kindergarteners come into kindergarten with such different abilities and skills. For example, some come in already reading and others come in knowing maybe a handful of letters and sounds. Trying to help all of them succeed and learn can be challenging.
Many ACA teachers view their job as mission-focused. What does that mean to you?
I believe that our job as teachers is more important than just teaching kids how to read or count. We are here to teach them about Jesus, how to get along with others, how to manage their emotions, how to pray, etc. We are here to provide a safe place for them to learn, play, make friends, be creative, make mistakes, etc. It’s more than just a job. I love it.