European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 15, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily Magazine s/1s photo by Tracy Baker if a show end text Lime in kindergarten and Tea Char Larry Jad Taon teams about a robot from Michael Robertson of a Man kindergarten teacher9 Bidav Walczak education writer Larry Jackson s career shift has him leaching in an area where most men fear to Treadis Choice offers a daily dose of giggles screams and shouts. In Jackson s classroom arithmetic social studies and the alphabet often take a Back seat to More pressing matters like shoelaces buttons and zippers i Leel Prelly Good said Jackson in his eighth year at Kaiserslautern elementary school and fourth year As a kindergarten Leacher there s not too Many limes Vou net to be an individual. I get a lot of response from other people. They say of a kindergarten teacher. Of a Man kindergarten teacher " adults Aren t the Only ones who notice Jackson s unique Choice of classroom venues. The children pretty much single you out Jackson said they All say him. Jackson whether they re in my class or not. In their own Way they let you know you re different from the other  Jackson 41. Says he knows of Al least one other male department of defense dependents schools kindergarten teacher. But Jackson is hard pressed to  most men avoid kindergarten instruction it s hard to say what other people want to do he said. I can t speak for other men. Ii there Are men out there whore Good tethers they d be Good teachers too. I think it takes a unique person period whether they re male or female. You either like it or you Dor t. And some people can t handle being around utile children picking at them All Day Long. I love to. I think our society does t train men to be around Little children All Day Long like thai Jackson first chose to be around Little children in 197bin Kingston mass., when the Prospect of teaching another Fllch Grade class lost us Luster had been teaching tilth Grade Lor about five years and i wanted a change Jackson said. I did i want to Burn out. I Lound myself repealing some things i d Dona in the first year. So i decided if i was going to change. I was going to change to something i knew absolutely nothing Aboul Jackson who is married and has two children soon Learned thai kindergarten leaching oilers an Enchant men unique in education. It s about the Only place in education whore Yoo find honesty enthusiasm a in isl Lor learning All tha things you want children to have All the Way through school. Vou Don t go into this yield for the Money. Vou have 1o like children. You have to love children. The feedback you get is a wonderful feeling. It s fleeting but it s  Jackson made the move from fifth Grade to kindergarten teaching twice first in Kingston and later Al Kaiserslautern. The Lisl move was prompted by a kindergarten class i d walk by end they d say him. Jackson.11 fell in love with Hal. I thought. Gee i be been missing this i wanted an area where i did t have to expect anything from the children but they expect a lot rom me. I m their nurse. I m their Counselor. I m their Friend. I have the magic touch. I can kiss hurts  Jackson arrived in Kaiser stauter in 1979 As a fifth Grade teacher and had to wait four years to play the role of Merlin. But when a position opened the faculty and administration supported his decision to each 5-year-Olds. Everybody was so excited. The two teachers who were teaching kindergarten encouraged me to work with them. I have never heard a negative thing about me being a Man teaching  Jackson Days he feels comfortable with the school s social setting in which most of lha faculty Are of he opposite sex. I have a great buddy tire Lou Ann. We spend our time talking about the celtics. Sometimes we talk about Penn state. Sometimes the women have Cata logs and they re discussing what they re going to Wear. But i m just one of lha girls and they re ust one of inc Guys depending on the subject Jackson s favorite subject is kindergarten children whose perpetual excitement and expect Lions make his Job easy he said they adore Iho teacher whether it s a male teacher or a female teacher they just got so excited. They bring things from Home they just want you to say Ono thing to them. And that s the hardest part because while you re doing Hal there s other things you need to gel  some of those things involve phonetics numbers and it alphabet. But the Lack of strict curriculum standards allows Jackson Freedom to locus on other lessons. If i decide a lesson in l going Well i can Cut it off. I can take time out and say of everybody hug your neighbor i think first Grade teachers and second Grade teachers have More responsibility in reaching goals. As a fifth Grade Leacher i found i had to work harder for some of the kids to want to learn. Here school is easy because there is no pressure to learn. School is a fun place to  producing a kindergarten play is Jackson s future goal. He said he has the keys to the undertaking interested parents and teacher aides. For now the Newport re native said Day to Day activities in the classroom Are More than fulfilling. When you Louch them. They touch you Back. They let you know in some Way. A smile a touch or Bye see you tomorrow they want to be recognized As an individual. Today was h Day. We were studying the letter h. So i gave everybody a hug. That s All i  a return to fifth Grade teaching is not out of the question Jar Jackson and not without a certain irony. Unfortunately As a fifth Grade Leacher i la be More remembered by my fifth graders when they re adults than i will be by these kindergarten kids. How Many of us remember who our kindergarten teacher was even if he was a Man monday december 15, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13