Recognizing Good Citizens

I was in Iowa at my sister’s house looking through old letters and memorabilia that my mother and grandmother had kept. Among the archives was a kindergarten report card for my dad. It had no date but would have been done in about 1928. I remember also seeing something similar from my own kindergarten days, although my mother didn’t preserve those reports.

I don’t know if these assessments continue today, but the criteria reported about my dad offered insight into what was important when I was raised by him more than 20 years later.

Report cards reflect a student’s academic journey. Yet, in addition to subjects and assessments, they once described the intangible qualities of good citizenship—kindness, fostering a sense of belonging, and lending a helping hand.

Citizenship as defined in my father’s youth was not about how much children raised their hands but about character and integrity within the school community. It spoke of empathy, responsibility, and respect for others. In kindergarten the reports seemed to suggest how that child functioned in society.

Growing up, I sometimes wondered how my dad could be “only” a farmer with no voiced aspirations to save the world, as I did when I was in my late teens. I now realize that citizenship occurs in big and small ways. My dad was soft-spoken and yet vehement about what it meant to live a good life. He cared about his family, his animals, his soil conservation practices, and giving back to his community. I learned a lot from him.

Reflecting on my dad’s kindergarten behavior underlined what I had known as an educator for over four decades. Education isn’t only about mastering equations or understanding research literature. It was, and continues to be, about nurturing individuals who know how to think critically and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Education is useless unless it focuses on using knowledge to embody good citizenship.