First Day Jitters

    What comes to mind when you think of your kindergarten experience?
    Nervously stepping off the bus on that first day? The first time you tried the big slide at recess? Tying your shoes all by yourself? Nap time? Taking home your prized art project? Making a new best friend? The tears when you had to tell your teacher goodbye?
    While some things about kindergarten will never change, it might come as a surprise that kindergarten in 2018 is much different from the kindergarten you remember 20, 30 or 40 years ago.
    There’s the obvious technology element — teachers use interactive white boards and every kindergartner has a touchscreen laptop for classroom use — but it’s a lot more than that too. There’s much that’s expected of a kindergartner in 2018.
    “What was your typical first-grade class is now your kindergarten,” said Brittany Dirks, a current kindergarten teacher at Holyoke Elementary School.
    Cyndi Bahler agreed. Having had first-grade experience before coming to Holyoke to teach kindergarten several years ago, Bahler was nervous about making the transition to the lower grade. But she found she had nothing to worry about. The things she used to teach in first grade were now being accomplished by Christmastime in a kindergarten classroom.
    An updated report card lists goals for kindergartners, like counting to 100 and not only reading but also writing complete sentences.
    Reading is a huge part of the difference in the last few decades. “Now we have kiddos coming to kindergarten who can read quite well,” said Mary Austin, a retired teacher who has 20 years of experience at Holyoke Elementary School, including 12 in kindergarten. “That’s fun but also a challenge.”
    She’s glad to know current kindergartners are experiencing a seamless transition from preschool to elementary school with the use of the Jolly Phonics program. It’s a fun approach to literacy with actions for each of the 42 letter sounds.
    Twenty years ago, children in Austin’s classroom may have watched a short Jolly Phonics music video on the TV, and that’s about all the technology they had. Now, in 2018, the whole reading program can be taught online, depending on the teacher’s preference.
    Reading is just one element in a complicated daily schedule, which starts out with not only the Pledge of Allegiance but also the Mindset Pledge. “School is very regimented,” said Bahler, noting teachers are limited in time with what they can squeeze into a day because there are so many different subjects to cover.
    “It’s hard with how many standards we have,” said Dirks. “And the standards are always changing.”
    This is where creativity and collaboration come in handy. Teachers can still find ways to do the things they want by using one activity to cover multiple subject areas.
    “Never forget what’s most important to you as a teacher,” said Bahler. “Every moment is a teaching moment.”
    Current kindergarten teacher Tina Rana, who taught in California before moving to Holyoke, said the district is very lucky to have a balanced education, including music and art.
    An important value for Rana is to provide a safe, welcoming classroom where children are able to take risks and grow. “The classroom is a community within itself,” she said.
    “You’re like the second mother,” said Austin. “If there’s safety and trust, the world is ours and we can build from there.”

Click here to read the full article in the back-to-school section.