The Taste Test

There is no way I couldn’t love teaching Kindergarten after today.  In stomped one of my students this morning with a GIANT Ziploc bag that had a bottle of Tonic Water in it.  Mmmmm Hmmm…..(I was looking for the limes and other accoutrements to go with it but didn’t see any at first glance.)

He plopped the bag on my desk and began digging in his backpack.  He then whipped out a box of paper disposable cups.  “Here! This is for the class to have a taste test!”   I was taken slightly off guard wondering where in the world he came up with the idea that we needed to have a Tonic Water taste test in Kindergarten.  I was intrigued but didn’t want to stifle his initiative and quite frankly, his resolution and grit!  How many five year olds would stomp in with a bottle of Tonic water and enough cups to set up a tasting bar?  (Mental note to self: I like this kid even more than I did yesterday. )

Oh, it gets better….

So, as the day gets underway I realize we are going to have to honor his request to have this “taste test” party.  One of the fundamental foundations of a quality early childhood experience is allowing kids choice, a voice and opportunity to lead.  So, I scooped up the mini-bar that was now on my desk and walked over to the Kidney Bean shaped table.  I started setting out 24 paper cups.  This drew immediate attention from students who were working in their morning journal. 

“What are those for?”  My reply, “You’ll see.”

“Are we having a drink?”   My reply, “You’ll see.”

“Where did you get those?”  No reply

“What are you doing?”    My reply, “You’ll see.”

This is a very predictable line of questioning any time, and I mean ANY time, I get anything out and start setting it up.  But, when there is the allure of food stuffs the line of questioning comes fast and furious.  This is true so much so that a few braves five and six year olds slid over to the Kidney Bean shaped table to take a closer look firing questions at an alarming rate.

“What are you going to put in those?”

“Are we having lemonade?”

 “Are you going to put candy in them?  We are having candy!!”   and so on.

Finally I have the make-shift tavern set up and I open the Tonic Water which proceeds to erupt causing a great display of “water works”  This is met with cheering and shouting coming from everyone………except me. By now nobody is working in their journal and EVERYONE has bellied up to the bar.

I pour twenty-four cups of Tonic water and then have the brainy idea that I am going to need to get a few photos of kids drinking this stuff to see the reaction on their face after their first sip, or in some cases a gulp.  I stomped over to the closet to get my camera out of my backpack and high-tale it back to the “bar” area.  In my absence a few brave souls were eye-balling the remaining liquid in the Tonic Water bottle.

Finally the time had come!  The anticipation was enough to implode on some of the students.  As everyone tipped back their glass I snapped pictures like mad to get the faces of those who clearly found it repulsive.  (Did I mention that I love Kindergarten?  It must be because times like this when you have all the knowledge you need about a situation that is old to you but so very new to them that makes it all the more fun for me.)

This led to much discussion about the taste and why it was, quite frankly, so “icky” as one girl put it.  We talked about how in the world did the water explode when I opened the lid and what makes the bubbles.  To heck with standardized tests and cramming in more curriculum!  I say capitalize on the ideas that students bring to school and make them educational in ways beyond what you imagined they could be. 

(I did sit down at the computer this afternoon and pen a quick email to the parents explaining the event.  I envisioned twenty-four dinner time conversations where kids talked of drinking Tonic Water at school and the impending worry that may come to the parents. After all it is Friday and I wouldn’t want any undue worry for the entire weekend.)

Perhaps the greatest gain from this experience was honoring one student’s desire to contribute an experience to the class.  He beamed as we chugged and choked down the tonic water and for that alone the time spent was worth it.