The Best Way to Grow Flowers… or Children?

An analogy on kindergarten:
I left teaching many years ago for the reasons shared in this analogy.

Filled with excitement a young woman enters a greenhouse filled with a variety of wondrous buds anxiously ready to sprout. She smiles as she sees how they are all at different stages of readiness to emerge from seedlings or buds about to burst into full blossom. 

She is thrilled to have accepted the job of her dreams. For years it has been her heartfelt desire to contribute to the healthy growth of young flowers. She is anxious to get started in sharing her enthusiasm to support the development of the individual beauty of each flower.   

As she enjoys the variety of color beginning to appear and is filled with the 
delightful scents surrounding her, she reflects on how exquisite it is that all of the flowers are unique. Her excitement continues to grow as she thinks about how extremely wonderful it is also that each flower blooms on a different timeline, so there is continuous beauty being revealed in the world. 

 

Prior to accepting the position, she inquired about the philosophy of the greenhouse and found compatibility. The mission of the gardening board matched her ideals. 

 

Mission: To provide an environment of support which allows all 
flowers to bloom beautifully.

Now she was finally here and ready. She thought, “Let’s get to it and have some fun!”

To get started, she turned to the manual of policies and procedures the head gardener handed her when she arrived.  This is what she found:

Goal: To help all flowers become a fully blossomed red rose with no thorns, variations or imperfections.

Objective: To implement procedures to ensure at least 90% of flowers achieve the stated goal as set forth by the greenhouse board of advisers.

Demonstrated Outcomes:  Achievement will be met within the specific growing season.  Standardized measurements will be administered to determine the level of effectiveness in meeting the required outcomes. 

PROCEDURAL POLICIES:

• All flowers must be kept in straight rows in the same size containers at all times.
• Flowers are to be planted in the designated soil. No exceptions.
• Once per day the same amount of water is to be provided to each flower.  No exceptions.
• Give each flower the same prescribed quantity of all purpose fertilizer daily. This may only be dispensed at mid day.
• Outdoor exposure is allowed for 10 minutes per day or less. Keep all flowers indoors under artificial lighting and preferably away from windows at all other times.

     STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE POLICIES IS REQUIRED. 

Testing will take place at mid season to ensure all flowers are on track for achieving the same height and color by the end of the growing season.

Reminder your job is to help all flowers grow!

Thank you,

The KINDER-GARDEN Administration

After reading what was prescribed, her heart broke in an instant and tears filled her eyes. She was not heartbroken for herself, but her extreme sorrow was for each of the young anxious and hopeful seedlings that were ready to radiate their unique brilliance. She thought how they are trusting that their individual needs and splendor will be recognized, respected and valued and they had no idea this is not at all what they were about to experience.

She then also realized, the world will never benefit from the magnificence of the remarkable garden that could have been.

Note: I was that young woman when I started my career as a kindergarten teacher. My deep and heartfelt passion now is to provide and share information through Brain Insights presentations and unique brain development packets with the dream of EVERY individual child to be supported in the development of revealing their own special unique brilliance!