Teaching the Teacher

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I have the unbelievable privilege of teaching music at a local church preschool, and it may be the best job on earth.

Seriously, where else could I get unlimited hugs, sing praises to God all day, and learn from some of God’s mightiest and tiniest scholars? Even on the toughest days of runny noses, tummy troubles, and falling tears, there is nothing quite like a room of preschoolers.

The best part of my amazing teaching gig is the pure joy of learning, and most of that learning occurs on my end of the equation. Some lessons I have learned are so profound that I cannot even put them into words. My favorite lessons, though, remind me that inside each precious preschooler is the grown-up God created them to be.

Yes, I love the giggles and childlike nature of my students, but I am also floored daily by the personality traits and unique giftings already established and at work in their tiny minds and bodies.

For example, every classroom has its own little teacher; some classes have two or three. These kiddos are naturally gifted in explaining and helping their classmates understand and learn. They are also rather bossy, like most teachers.

I find it amazing that oftentimes, whenever I struggle to bring a concept down to their level, these mini teachers instinctively know how to get my point across.

I wrote about one such instance a while back and shared how one of my 3-year-old girls swiftly explained a cartoon music video’s depiction of Jesus with gaping holes in His hands. I was astounded – and grateful for her help.

But so far this year, I am learning most from our youngest class of preschoolers. I wait in expectant awe to see what our mighty God has in store for me to garner from His tiny little warriors.

Last week, I was flabbergasted when one of those sweet babies got up from our music-time circle to go to her class bookcase. Despite multiple redirection attempts, she was undeterred. As I kept singing additional verses of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” with her classmates, I watched in utter fascination as she obviously searched for a particular book.

When she finally found what she was looking for, she lugged the big volume back to the carpet, plopping it and herself mid-circle. Then, she started riffling through the pages until she located one picture – of a big red barn and a farm filled with animals of all sorts.

She pointed triumphantly to “M-Donal.”

At that point, music class took a 180-degree turn as each of her classmates pointed excitedly to various animals in the book, loudly singing the sound of each of Farmer MacDonald’s animals.

I was mesmerized.

I watched in awe as this song came to life through the voices of babies who are not even two years old. I saw plainly how miraculous human life really is. Even at such a young age, this precious baby girl was already demonstrating God’s creative power to make man in His own image and fully equip His creations with the mind of Christ.

For those who foolishly doubt this biblical truth, science verifies God’s creative power. For example, multiple studies show that a newborn’s brain is about a quarter of its eventual adult size. Yet, by age 5, the human brain is almost 90% of its projected adult size. At times during that exponential growth, an infant’s brain works so hard that it is literally “forming over 1 million new neural connections per second.”

Talk about miraculous!

But what about those precious toddlers who taught me a new lesson on Old MacDonald and his farm? They connected a simple song to a picture book they had seen before. How was that feat possible at such a young age?

To find my answer, I read numerous research articles about brain development at this age. One article published by researchers at the University of Bristol in July 2024 examined cognitive differences in over 100 toddlers at 10 months of age compared to four months later at 16 months.

At 16 months, toddlers used significantly more regions of their brain than four months earlier. Though their behavior and observable skills might not have indicated it, this study showed that 14-16 months is a critical time for brain development in toddlers.

So, what does that mean for me as the music teacher of such obviously amazing toddlers?

Well, recent scientific advancements in imaging technology give scientists, pediatricians, teachers, and parents proof that music greatly impacts children's brain development, cognitive learning/retention, language acquisition/usage, and social development.

I especially loved how a November 2025 article from The Music Scientist, “Brain-Imaging Breakthroughs Reveal Music’s Profound Impact on Early Childhood Development,” explained this impact: “music doesn’t just entertain young children—it fundamentally shapes their neural architecture during the most critical period of brain development.”

So, if I get to be a part of fundamentally shaping the neural architecture of these precious babies, then I better do it right. And according to the Bible, including the book of Psalms, which is one of God’s greatest sources of music, the best lesson I can teach my students is to praise the One who made their amazing, quickly developing brains.

In Matthew 21:16, even Jesus referenced this lesson on the perfect praise of little ones found in the powerful words of Psalm 8:2 (NIV), “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

And I was blessed to learn this lesson up close and personal from a wise little toddler, her friends, and the animals on Old MacDonald’s farm.

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