‘Tis the season! It’s that time of the school year where we notice that the second quarter is coming to a close and we realize all the things we have left to do before we go on Winter Break. In kindergarten, we have several one-on-one assessments that we need to finish. We can only finish those if the students come to school each day between Thanksgiving and Winter Break. That’s not always a guarantee for any time of year, but it is crucial at this time of year. We need to get grades in the grade book. We need to ensure that the students can be ready for their Acadience assessment (formerly known as DIBELS). We still need to have IEP meetings, MTSS meetings, staff meetings, professional development meetings and participate in the evening events including Holidays Around the World and Winter Music concerts. We need to make a gift for the parents (it is kindergarten after all).
The demands at this time of year can be daunting for all teachers, not just elementary teachers. The amount of pressure that surrounds this time of year could overwhelm any teacher. Instead of just listing everything we need to do or be a part of, we should reflect and become part of the wonder. This is easier to do in an elementary school setting. Our students LOVE this time of year! They love all the crafts and decorating and excitement this time of year brings to their lives. The lessons we present at this time of year may be the only ones they remember in the long run. We need to create experiences that inspire excitement and joy in our classrooms. This is a perfect time of year to create those lasting memories. I ran into a former student (he’s eighteen now) and his family recently, and they were telling me how much their son loved kindergarten. I asked him what he remembers the most and he said one of the things he remembers was making an ornament for the holidays. He didn’t remember any of the items on the previous list, the testing, the grades, the demands of the teacher. He only remembered the things that we did that made a connection and memories for him. He doesn’t remember me teaching him how to blend and segment words. He doesn’t remember what his grades were when he was five, but he remembers the feeling of being in kindergarten and having fun, and that’s why he loved it.
This can be the least wonderful time of the year for teachers, but it can always be the most wonderful time of the year for students if we put ourselves in the position to stop and reflect on what is most important for our students. As teachers, we have so many demands at this time of the year, but maybe, just maybe, we can take what little time we have left before the break, and help the students create positive, lasting memories at school.
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Sarah Kirchoff
Sarah Kirchoff is an instructional coach in Mesa Public Schools. She has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. She began her teaching career way back in August 1999, when everyone was worried about Y2K. She did not even have computers in her classroom at that time! Since then, she has taught first grade for four years, preschool for three years, second grade for two years and kindergarten for twelve years. She has worked for three different school districts during her teaching career. During this time, she has been able to identify which grade she found to be the most enjoyable. Her greatest teaching passion is for kindergarten. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. She was teacher of the year at her school in the 2019-2020 school year. She became a National Board Certified Teacher as an Early Childhood Generalist in December of 2020. She currently serves on numerous committees at her school including school site council, the instructional leadership team, and the culture and climate team. She is a mentor teacher at her school and has mentored numerous interns and student teaching candidates. When she is not busy with school commitments, she spends time with her family. She has a husband who is also a teacher, and four children. Two of which are students at NAU and two that are in high school. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading books and spending time with family, friends and her two dogs. Children need a teacher that is always advocating for them, socially, emotionally, and academically. Sarah wants every student she encounters to realize their potential and she is willing to help in any way she can. The impact early childhood educators have on students reaches far beyond their younger years. Sarah wants to leave a positive impact on her students so they can continue to have wonderful educational experiences beyond her classroom and school.