Teaching Online is Heartbreaking
Kindergarten Isn’t the Same Anymore and the Children are Being Greatly Affected
Monday morning I met with my kindergarteners. All 12 of their little faces blinking back at me at 9:30am. Several were lying down on couches and beds, some spinning around in chairs, and a couple sitting at a desk with pens and paper at the ready. As usual, we began our Monday morning by discussing what we did over the weekend, although these days one can only do so much.
“I went cycling with Mommy and Daddy over 20km! But I had to wear a face mask, because it was so busy.”
“I played with my sister in the garden. Again.”
“My grandma came over and we played policeman.”
“I don’t remember what I did.”
“I stayed home and it was boring. Everything is so boring.”
It broke my heart hearing one of my students sounding so tired and sad. Usually she would come bounding into the classroom, all excited to tell me about her weekend adventures. Now she was lying on the couch, face on the pillow staring into a computer screen and looking as if she would rather eat broccoli than participate in another online lesson.
We used to play games during circle time like “Duck, Duck, Goose,” “Doggy, Doggy, Where’s Your Bone,” relay races while hopping on one foot, or the bus game. Now we have become limited to “Simon Says” and various other games that don’t involve running, touching, or interacting with our friends.
We used to sing songs while playing musical instruments, taking turns over who got to bang the drum and who played the keyboard. We used to fight over toys and complain how things aren’t fair. We used to bother the teacher about how “he took my pencil” and “she pinched me”.
However, now all we do is stare at a computer screen, taking turns who has their microphone on. Some students still raise their hand, all excited to answer a question while most gaze back at me, bored and lifeless.
Teaching online is heartbreaking.
- No longer do we have high fives, hugs, songs to sing while we wait in line, line leaders and snack helpers
- no longer can we compile our boxes from home to make a giant castle for us to later paint
- no longer do we have those crucial social interactions that are the very foundation of education.
The dangerous thing is many believe kindergarten isn’t as important as the higher grades. Children in kindergarten don’t need to complete algebraic equations. They don’t need to write essays comparing and contrasting “The Heart of Darkness” to “Apocalypse Now”. They don’t need to create hypotheses for science experiments. Kindergarteners don’t take tests.
However, in kindergarten students learn the basics in order to be successful in the future. Kindergarten is where children learn how to hold a pencil correctly, how to tie their shoes, recognise the letters of the alphabet, recognise numbers on the number line, learn simple adding and subtracting, and how to cut on the dotted line. They learn how to share, resolve arguments with friends, and problem solve. All these factors are just as important.
So many believe kindergarten is just a baby sitting service. Often I hear, “Oh, it must be so easy. All you do is sing songs, make crafts, and play games the whole day”.
However, kindergarten isn’t easy. Sure, we do all of the before mentioned things, but definitely not all day. Kindergarteners learn the basic skills of writing and cutting. They learn how to listen to one another, how to voice ideas, and gain confidence. They learn how to share, help, follow routines, and use their creativity to better their classroom environment.
Online teaching is destroying the social interaction that young children need at this age. Once we return to school, will the children be able to share with one another again? Will they be able to solve problems in their friendships? Will they have the confidence to voice their ideas in front of their friends?
I believe not all will be lost from this quarantine. Our online lessons have included reading, counting, and simple mathematical problems. However, I am concerned about the social aspect. The quarantine has limited young children by cutting them off from their friends and the ability to learn through play. Kindergarten is a time to be free, and it is heartbreaking to see that freedom taken away.
