Faith and Patience

In the month prior to Christmas vacation the office staff began to schedule the hours for the daycare staff. The Child Development Center is open the full 12 months in a year. Recently several of the teachers went on vacation and so the daycare has been under-staffed. I volunteered to work during break to make sure the preschool classroom would have enough teachers. Carolyn, my roommate, would work in the Pre-Kindergarten room. During those three weeks of break we arrived at the school around 7:45am. At 8:15am Ms. Shirley, the head Pre-School teacher and I would begin working on worksheets with the kids. Some of the three-year-olds were surprisingly good at coloring within the lines. Others decided that their coloring page would look much better if it was covered entirely in purple crayon. Whoever the person was who designed clay crayons that stain hands, shirts, pants, and everything in the vicinity... ... ... Around 9am we led the kids in a single file line outside to the play ground. In the best interest of Ms. Shirley and I, my goal every day was to get the kids as worn out as possible. I assumed the role of the tickle monster and chased the kids around the playground for the full 45 minutes. Whether it made a difference, we could never tell. I had no idea how much energy it takes to keep up with a three year old. After play time, we take them back inside to change, drink water and then gather in a circle for songs, stories, counting and going over the alphabet. If you have never heard Perry Como's version of the alphabet song, you need to look it up.

The stories and songs are for the most part from cradle roll and Sabbath school. When we sing "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" we adapt the verses to include the students names in groups of two, and when we sing their names, those two students give each other a big hug. It's fun to watch them light up when their name is called and then give their friend a big squeeze. Shirley was talking with me one day about how much the students learn and share with their parents at home. She told me how one day a parent was sharing how her son had informed her "Mom, you shouldn't worship idols! They can't hear you. Teacher Shirley says so!" (This was just after she had read them the story about the Baal worshipers.) Another student informed their parents that "Saturday is the Sabbath and that pork isn't good for eating." The good-natured Moms laughed it off as some "church" thing, and after Shirley shared these stories with me I grew hopeful that the little bit of the bible these kids are getting to hear is sinking in and making a difference. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. 

After we have circle time, we eat lunch. Then comes the part of the day where I exercise my patience. Helping 16 kids wash their face and hands, brush their teeth and settle down for a nap none of them are eager to take requires a good deal of grit and saintly behavior. Who but a saint would react calmly to a child who smears toothpaste and liquid hand soap all over the bathroom? I am afraid that wasn't one of my better days, but over time I have learned to accept that there will be messes, there will be spills, and there will be tantrums. The best thing I can do is bear it patiently. These children are learning by example, and I want mine to be a good one.

I suppose the biggest reward is walking into the pre-school room every now and being greeted by a whole group of kids hugging my legs and trying to show me their newest lego creation. It doesn't matter how many times I had to put them in time-out, these kids bear no grudges. While delivering after school schedules today I passed the playground as the pre-schoolers were busy patting down the finishing touches on their sand sandwiches. From the fence several called to me, pleading "be the monsturr, teacher!" I happily obliged.