A reminder to the teachers at the kindergarten.

Mia came home with some drawings for me yesterday. I've included them here. Just to illustrate the difference between what happens at home and what is happening at school. I could'nt help myself and have just completed a letter to the head teacher of which I include a copy here as well. I just can't say nothing.







Dear Kindergarten Teachers

It is with regret that I am writing this letter, but I hope it will be received in the spirit of better education.

I have noticed recently (more and more) that there are some teacher led activities which involve showing children how to draw something. I refer in particular to a table set out with a teacher-drawn flower which some children were trying to copy, with the teacher present, assisting the process: “…And what about some leaves coming off the stem like this…?”. Considering the plethora of flowers brought in by children for their teachers every day of various shapes and sizes, wouldn’t setting them all upon a table and encouraging the children to look at the real thing be a better exercise? Just the other day my children brought in blue irises which are spectacularly colourful and different to the typical stem, leaf and daisy type flower we all draw now (thanks to having our creativity quashed when we were young and malleable).

I know it can be hard to say no to a child when they ask you to draw something, but we all should try harder.

Where have the informative notices that were on display before gone? The ones about a child’s developmental drawing stages (eg. A circle head with arms and legs. ) They served as wonderful educational tools for parents and teachers alike and were of great reassurance to me to know that we shared the same beliefs. Some of the examples up on display were delightful.

It’s so easy to spot a teacher-assisted or –led drawing, There’s no magic in it.

Similarly, where have the notices and reminders gone about parents/teachers not drawing on the children’s artwork?

I know there have been new teachers arriving over the last couple of terms and perhaps this letter will be the catalyst to revisit the values that I considered vital when I enrolled my children here. This beautiful creative, fresh, innocent and unique creative phase of our children’s lives occurs only now, and I invite you and your team to recognize the value of these expressionist artworks that happen every day and to nurture and cherish them as you did before.