On a 10-point scale, my elementary school experience was around a 7.8. Most days were amazing, but some had me wanting to hide in the nurse’s office. I was running headlong through emotional and physical changes–random growth spurts and starting to mold myself into the idea of who I wanted to be.

Elementary life was peppered with four-square, cocooning butterflies and the occasional case of strep throat. Most days were easy and reliable; I could always count on the fact that I would have a friend to jump rope with and a spot at the lunch table. But, with the good days, there were also bad ones. Sometimes I would fall off of the slide playing “cherry bomb” or fail the test to get into honors math (or maybe three times). These bad days, however, did not truly dull the sparkle that grade school provided.

In spite of the endless blisters from monkey bars and the never-ending ISAT days, I was allowed to be a kid. I was able to sit in a cardboard house to learn about the great depression and had the opportunity to build several things, including a closet, for my English class. My joy came from being the first in line for fire drills and playing the recorder, not from passing a test or sleeping in on late arrival days.

As high school is riddled with stress, late nights and endless pages of notes, I was in the mood for a break from the hustle and bustle at Naperville North. To get away from the pressure of being a teenager, I went back to Ellsworth Elementary School to relive my life as a kid.

Walking in, I was greeted by the same people that worked in the office when I was there years ago–the warm smile of recognition I used to receive as an elementary school student is similar to the one I received as a sophomore. The smell of sharpened pencils and chalk dust still floats through the hallways. The classrooms remain in the organized disarray that naturally accompanies children.

Going back to Ellsworth, I realized just how small I was as a 10 year old. During my visit, I nearly brushed my head against doorways that used to seem 10 feet tall. The hallways that I remember as never-ending are, in reality, only a mere 20 paces long. I can easily grab the top rock on the gym’s rock wall, a stunt I never could have dreamed of doing before. The gym that hosted games like “Star Wars Tag” and “Tiger Needs a Home” is roughly the size of a classroom at NNHS.

Strolling through the hallways, one thing predominantly stood out to me. Call them naive or unaware, but elementary students are always ready for adventure. It may be because of their size, or the fact that their life consists of games and minimal stress, but doing everything and going everywhere is an expedition. Being confined to a small room with no passing periods and limited trips to the water fountain can make a short walk to the cafeteria the most exciting part of the school day. Finding a new book in the library is like discovering hidden treasure and mixing the perfect color of purple in art class is equivalent to making the perfect food dish.

During the fourth grade writing time I observed, the students were hard at work on their latest assignment: writing a chapter book about their favorite animal. Most of the kids, save the occasional stubborn juvenile, appeared to be diligently working on their assignments because what they were writing about pertained to their particular interests. They were also very focused because they worked with little distraction and without the fear of an inadequate grade looming over their heads.

These young students are not constantly crushed by the stress that is always piled on high school kids. The time allotted to them for quiet reading and writing is actually spent reading and writing, whereas teenagers would use that time as an excuse to check their Twitter feed or to catch up on other homework. Life at my elementary school is not the constant competition of followers and grades that it is in high school.

Arriving back at NNHS the next Monday, several things were surprisingly evident. First, I realized how much of a little fish-big pond scenario my life at NNHS actually was. Revisiting a place where I was comparable to a giant, I felt authoritative and important. I turned heads and got several glance-back stares because I was a spectacle far from the average sight. At NNHS, I am one of 3,000. At Ellsworth, I was one of 300.

Second, after readjusting to the size of the school, I recognized how many opportunities high schoolers have. Grade school allows for students to be children, the assignments and work that they are simple. In contrast, high school is a time for students to truly find who they are and to develop their talents and hobbies. We can pick and choose the various classes that strike our interest, we have the opportunity be a part of several clubs and we can even make our own sandwiches in the lunch line.

Third, I realized just how privileged I am to live in a community that really cares about its youth. The teachers, not only at Ellsworth but also at NNHS, show true compassion towards their students and want them to succeed in their academic and social endeavors. They assign projects and homework pertinent to their students’ abilities and interest, while connecting with students on a personal level.

And lastly, everyone can learn something from the bright-eyed students that walk the grade school halls. They do not worry about what others think of them, and they enjoy and put all of their effort into what they do. They live as themselves–fearlessly and curiously–not as the cardboard cut-out some have been taught to be. They know they are loved by their peers, teachers and families. No matter how impressionable they may be, these young students have figured out a way to be their own person. That’s a lesson you can’t teach in the classroom.