Why High Schoolers Are Like Kindergarteners (But with Cell Phones)
After 35-plus years of teaching art in public schools, I’ve come to a conclusion: teenagers are just kindergarteners in bigger bodies—with cell phones. And, oh yeah, they can drive away if they want to.
Sure, they’ve traded crayons for iPhones, and their tantrums are now fueled by existential dread and TikTok drama, but at their core? They’re the same. They still need structure, snacks, and naps. And if you think about it, maybe we all do.
When I was a new teacher, I borrowed a set of classroom rules from a kindergarten room: Work Hard and Be Nice. Decades later, I’ve realized those two rules cover just about everything—whether you’re five, fifteen, or fifty. Maybe Robert Fulghum was onto something: everything we really need to know, we *did* learn in kindergarten.
Let’s break it down.
1. Structure: “What Are We Doing Today?”
Kindergarteners thrive on routine. You tell them exactly what’s happening—morning meeting, snack time, playtime, storytime—and they feel safe in the predictability of it all.
Enter the high school student. First period. Bleary-eyed. Hoodies up. AirPods in. And the first thing they ask? “What are we doing today?”
Every. Single. Day.
It doesn’t matter that the plan is on the board. It doesn’t matter that we’ve been following the same unit for two weeks. Teenagers, like kindergarteners, need clear expectations—or else they crumble into chaos (or, worse, conspiracy theories about how school is a government experiment).
I’ve also noticed that, for some reason, my voice turns into white noise when I give instructions. The moment I finish speaking, hands shoot up: “Wait, what are we supposed to do?” But for the most part, they’re polite and apologetic. They honor the space and want it to be comfortable and safe. Just like kindergarteners.
2. Snacks: The True Currency of the Classroom
A hungry teenager is a distracted teenager. The only thing standing between focus and chaos in any given class period is whether they remembered to pack a snack before leaving home—or at least grab something from the stash in their locker before heading to class.
Kindergarteners have scheduled snack time—juice boxes, Goldfish crackers, and the occasional meltdown over who got the bigger cookie. High schoolers? They are snack ninjas. They think they’re being sneaky, but I’ve seen it all:
-A student casually munching on a bag of Cheetos while painting, leaving orange dust all over their watercolor masterpiece.
-Another strolls in with a full McDonald’s meal, carefully unwrapping their sandwich like it’s an art project of its own.
-And then there’s the time I had to intercept an Uber Eats delivery. One student even used my name for the order. I got called to the front office to pick up my Chick-fil-A. Security enjoyed that lunch.
-Some students have turned their backpacks into mobile vending machines, selling chips and candy—not just for profit, but because they know their classmates will buy. Supply meets demand, entrepreneurship in action.
Snacks are often the glue that holds the classroom together—but sometimes, they’re the distraction that pulls it apart. Without them, it’s not chaos that reigns, but a slow descent into distraction, sugar withdrawal, and daydreaming about lunch.
3. Naps: The Dream of Every Student (and Teacher)
Kindergarteners have designated nap time. High schoolers? They take it whenever the opportunity arises.
I’ve had students fall asleep sitting up, mid-drawing. I’ve had students lean against a wall, hood up, dead to the world. I once watched a kid put his head down, and I swear he fell asleep before his forehead hit the desk. It’s almost impressive.
And let’s be real—teachers wouldn’t mind a nap time either.
One time, a student fell into such a deep sleep that after the class left, I turned off the lights and set the clock to 5 PM. Then I woke him up and asked, “Hey, how are you getting home?” He freaked out before I told him the truth and sent him on to his next class.
The Bigger Picture: Maybe School Needs a Reboot
At the end of the day, high schoolers and kindergarteners aren’t all that different. They want to know what’s happening, they need food to function, and they’d really prefer to be napping. The main difference? Kindergarteners have a little less sarcasm and a lot fewer TikTok references.
So maybe, instead of fighting it, we should embrace it. Maybe school itself needs a total rehaul.
What if we structured the day differently? Imagine this:
Two hours of AI-driven learning for core subjects—efficient, personalized, and done.
The rest of the day with real guides—teaching grit, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, physical well-being, and how to actually navigate life.
Because honestly, when I look at my students, I don’t just see kids who need to pass a test—I see young people who need to learn how to Work Hard and Be Nice. The same lessons from kindergarten still apply, and maybe, if we really think about it, school should too.
So, what would you change? Let’s rethink education—not just for the kids, but for all of us. After all, deep down, we’re all just kindergarteners trying to figure it out.
Should we bring back snack time and naps for everyone? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Forming 2.0 
Leave a comment