Carol Moehrle
It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
—Henry David Thoreau
There's magic in children's artwork. Our grandson Jake is studying penguins in kindergarten. He has been proud to bring home art projects and drawings demonstrating his newly found love of penguins. As he was explaining about their size and shapes and their lives south of the equator (yes, he even understood the equator and gave me a long lesson on what it is), he wanted to teach me how to draw a penguin.
We both sat drawing at the table while he methodically told me all the details to add to my penguin. With each step of the process, his penguin became more animated and colorful, whereas mine struggled with shape and recognizability.
We talked about penguins and the details that distinguish one species from another. But the true beauty of our venture was not what the penguins looked like; it was what I saw in Jake's eyes and gestures. He was thrilled to share his knowledge and recall with me. His eyes danced with joy when he was the "teacher." His expression and tone of voice were animated and full of excitement. I was looking at a six-year-old boy and his artwork, but what I saw was the curiosity and excitement that was ignited by a wonderful teacher and the joy of passing it on to his nana.
Thank you Mrs. Kinzer for your love, your compassion, and your excitement about teaching. It is living on in your students and it warms my heart.
b-Resilient