One of the most obvious qualities of young children is their insatiable desire to discover, which is perhaps the closest relative to an innate desire to learn. The joy of discovery is the wave that learning rides, the crest that the educational enterprise ideally surfs. Some say that all they ever needed to learn, they learned in kindergarten. I've forgotten some things since then, but Mr. Potato retaught those lessons, and at a deeper level. Learning is discovery.
Discovery is joy.
The joy comes in beholding something in your hand, something that wasn't there before, something you may not have even seen before or known existed, be it a potato or a flash of insight. Discovery requires digging and a willingness to get dirty. Discovery involves experimenting, doing things wrong, making mistakes. That lesson, as far as I'm concerned, is an auspicious start to any school year. On a school level, I'm thankful to the potatos and the garden for reminding me of the conditions required for ideal cultivation.