What a Bunch of Second Graders Made Me Realize

As mentioned in my previous post, I am often struck with inspiration by the most insignificant of things. Anything can become my muse.

Today, I was compelled to write about your, average, normal everyday child.

Children, by nature, especially the younger primary school going variety, are pretty honest creatures. Though their loyalties are fickle and given the chance, the next candy yielding teacher will become their 'favourite', their innocence and their unwavering optimistic approach to life is truly inspiring.

We adults, hardly ever take time to delve on the coping mechanisms of young children, yet alone derive important lessons- nay- life skills from their behaviour.

As of late, I am constantly tuning in on the goings on around me on an acute level. I have a filter system in my head that automatically negates the unpleasant, but tiny random acts of kindness, positivity and resilience have begun to resonate within me and rekindles the hope within my heart that humanity has not completely been depleted.

Here is what I have learned through careful observation, of how kids function:

1. They are tough to get down: Even in the face of failure, these little miracles refuse to give up. It is with a great deal of sadness that I say that so many of them lack the tools to function at their optimum, but regardless, they will not accept defeat. They show up and get to work, at whatever capacity they have. The mark of good teacher is to work with what the child has, but then, you need to be really lucky to have a teacher who indeed even realizes the hidden potentials within and the unseen handicaps they may possess.

2. They cry, but somehow always end up smiling in the end: It's so endearing to see a sad child, tears streaming down puffy cheeks, gain composure and then give a little tiny grin. In the moment, I sometimes think it is paramount to the universe whispering in my ear, "It's all good."

3. They are brutally honest: Don't get me wrong, the little imps can really lay it on thick. But when push comes to shove, kids are just truthful where things really matter. See, their minds are yet untainted with the social paradigms, or politics, or fanaticism. They only perceive what appeals to their uncomplicated little hearts, and it's a joy to sit in the midst of a portion of this type of purity.

4. Each and every one is unique: You wouldn't peg a simplistic bunch of second graders to be very different from one another, but they SO are. Among the near 125 kids I am teaching this year, I have grown to appreciate how each and every child has a true individuality. What I fail to understand is, where this uniqueness and specialty creep off too as the child gets older. What leads a treasure trove of potential paving its specific course towards a path where it is lost among the seemingly blind scores of people all moving in one aimless direction? What indeed?

5. They have this unlimited capacity for accommodation and adjustment: School is where these kids meets other kids and have to expose their inner selves to strange adults and other children of varying ages. They are bombarded with text, often in more than 2 languages, are expected to follow uncountable rules, have to deal with bigger, older and meaner kids on the playground, have to endure the torturous remarks of the teacher on how silly they are for not bringing a pencil. And we say we adults have issues. Yet these marvels of nature, they do it all, and do it well with an unfathomable amount of courage and will-power.

6. They are deceivingly logical: Yell at a child, you'll get him to your bidding out of fear and it will be temporary at best, come down to his level and explain the logic and you'll have a doer for life. Adults though, they seem to lose this. Other factors come into play that totally cloud the good judgement of good people.  We think children are difficult to placate, but this is far from the truth.

7. They have a sense of humor: It has always struck me, how kids have the good sense to brush it off, give a hearty laugh and move on. They'll even sneak in a clever comment to bring a smile to the faces of the sternest of teachers- me not being excluded.

We adults, so proud of our stronger, taller, experienced, educated and wiser selves, despite our maturity and confidence, can tear a page from the explicit workings of a young child's mind. Perhaps we'll have more laughs, more depth and more meaningful crests in our lives.