Some of you may be familiar with the poem "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. I decided to write a parody, describing what I've learned about teaching from my time in Brazil. The first poem is the original so you can see the pattern.
"All
I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten"
by Robert Fulghum
Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.
These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.
These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Teresina
Most of what I really need to remember about teaching
I observed in Teresina, Brazil.
Insight was not in my University classrooms,
but there in the city of the two rivers, Parnaíba and Poty.
These are the things I learned:
The teacher is the most important resource.
Teachers need to build a strong relationship with their students.
A noisy classroom is an engaged classroom.
The best teachers are life-long learners.
Teachers must be flexible.
The more time a student spends in school, the more he is able to learn.
Students are universally social!
Rigid structure often hinders independence, responsibility, and creativity.
Teachers can collaborate, even when they don't speak the same language.
The structure and role of education needs to change because the world is changing.
Education must become more global.
Teaching is a noble endeavor no matter where you are in the world.
The administration at the private school where Alex teaches, Integral.
These are the things I learned:
The teacher is the most important resource.
Teachers need to build a strong relationship with their students.
A noisy classroom is an engaged classroom.
The best teachers are life-long learners.
Teachers must be flexible.
The more time a student spends in school, the more he is able to learn.
Students are universally social!
Rigid structure often hinders independence, responsibility, and creativity.
Teachers can collaborate, even when they don't speak the same language.
The structure and role of education needs to change because the world is changing.
Education must become more global.
Teaching is a noble endeavor no matter where you are in the world.
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| Teachers at the elementary school we visited. |
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