Everything I Know about Teaching Was Reinforced by Auditing Remote Kindergarten

Abstract

Watching my son’s kindergarten class has reinforced what I learned about teaching from our academic support community. I have come up with six takeaways for class design that align with my new philosophy of “everything I know about teaching was reinforced by auditing remote kindergarten.” My six main takeaways are:
1. Repetition is key.
2. Practice is everything.
3. Sitting still and focusing is really hard.
4. Kindness is crucial.
5. Relationships matter.
6. Everyone is trying their best.

I try to bring these reminders to all of my interactions with my law students. They’re home too. Their work/life/school balance has been destroyed as well. They’re dealing with the tremendous overwhelm of COVID-19, the racial injustice of simply living as a BIPOC in this country, and vitriolic hate-filled politics. They’re anxious about their futures. They are trying their very best.

Keywords: legal education, pedagogy, spaced repetition