Red light, Green Light

When I went to pick KZ up from school yesterday, her teacher told me that KZ had a bit of a meltdown during their pattern matching game. 

The teacher said the conversation went as follows:

"The pattern was red, yellow, red, yellow.  KZ what should the next color should be?" the teacher said

"Green!" KZ said.

"No, KZ, it is red," the teacher said.

"No, it's green," KZ said.

"No, red," the teacher said.

KZ then started to cry and asked for her mommy. 

I was running late to get KZ to music class, so really didn't think too hard about it as the teacher was telling me this.  But as I rushed down the street, trying to make each green light as best as I could, it dawned on me, street lights are red, yellow, green.

When we got home from music, I asked KZ about the patterns.

"Mommy, that teacher was wrong.  Green comes after red and yellow.  I needed you there to explain it to her."

I just smiled. 

"Yes, KZ, green does follow yellow on street lights.  But in other places, like your school classroom, it doesn't have to.  Your teacher was right, and so are you."

I wasn't sure how to explain to her that the teacher was right and wrong.  I want her to respect her teacher, but I also loved that she was thinking independently and questioning at three and a half years old.