God Moment

If I make a difference in just one child's life. I will have succeeded.

I had a powerful moment just the other day, and I wasn't even in the Word. I am begginning to realize that teaching prechoolers is not all about knowing what-happens-when in a preschoolers life but about the interactions you have with them as well as the teachable moments. My biggest fear about teaching preschool is that one day a parent will ask me a question about how their child's development is going and I will not remember the answer from when I was in school. This past week, God has shown me just how he has prepared me for graduating in May. I have more faith that He already knows where I will be working too.

I was even worried about how I was spending a lot of time with one child (who is stuck to me like glue) and not so much time with the other six or so. I asked my supervisor about that one day and she told me not ot worry, that he needed it now. Okay, so I an trying really hard not to show favoritism in the class, but this one child is really making it difficult. He's just so darn cute!
It all started the first week of preschool. He pitched a royal coniption fit every time his mother tried to leave. It took her almost twenty minutes to get out the door! One day instead of sitting back and watching others try to handle it, I got the bright idea to do something about it. ( something I read on the internet just popped into my head). I went up to him and tried to get his mind off of his mom leaving by coaxing him into an activity with me. Anything to take his mind off mom leaving. But first I told him to think of all the fun stuff he can tell his mom he did while she ws gone. He bought it. So he and I went to the dramatic play area (our house) and just sat and talked about stuff. In fact, in the middle of our conversation he pipes up and says "Tweena, you know what? I'm not sad anymore!" A few minutes later and it's "Tweena, I think I wuv you." He said it to me again a few days ago.

For a few weeks he followe me aroudn like a lost puppy-dog. Then he started to drag me to the different centers with him. When he cried at circletime becuse his mom ws goign to leave, I told him I would sit behind him at circle. Now, he tells his mom she can go now. In fact, one day he got mad because she wasn't leaving fast enough. "Mo-o-o-m, you can g-o-o now!"
His mom and grandma love me to death. The first few weeks of school, his mom made a great comment about how I work with her son. My supervisor shared it with me later in the day. His mother even told me at one time he was asking her "Is today a Tryna day?" Just before Christmas break, Joseph's mom asked me for my address so that Joseph could sen dme something. A few weks later, when I returned home from break, I had a card from them waiting for me in the mail. He missed me. (the week of my birthday he even made me a card) I couldn't wait to let him know that I was arranging to come back into his class for Spring semester.

Working in preschools up to this point, I have tried to judge my successes by how well I am doing with the entire preschool class. These past few months God has shown me through this one child what a difference I can make even of it is one child at a time, and that makes me smile. I have learned more from this one child...

My heart breaks for this little boy. I learned Tuesday night at open house for practicum students that his father is not in his life but only on supervised visits. I was not told why for privacy purposes. I had been wondering since last semester why I never see his father and still why he has only mentioned him but maybe twice since I have known him. this child is only four years old! thankfully though, I have seen his uncle show up with his mom on occasion. At lest he does have some male influence. How good, I dont know. The way his grandma talks, I assume she or they are Christians. I find myself praying for them. I now understand why God placed me here, even if it is just for this one little boy.


I asked if I could take him home. His mom laughed.

I take that as a "no" :'(