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One day many years ago a young man arrived at the daycare center. He was in high school, had passed the center many times, and had always wanted to volunteer at the center. At that time we had no volunteer positions available so I asked him to return in a few months when I was confident we would be able to have him volunteer. This he did and we eventually found him a volunteer position working in our two’s classroom. Jorge was a rather robust young man, slow moving and soft spoken. To a child he must have seemed like a gentle giant. His easy-going temperament made him an ideal volunteer to work with an active group of two-year-olds. The children responded to him immediately. And, with little need for suggestion from the staff, Jorge began to play ball with the children on the playground and build blocks with the children in the classroom. He loved talking with the children and enjoyed their antics. He was always interested in circle time activities and he often brought in items he thought the teacher might be able to use in the classroom. In addition to the infinite patience and obvious love of working with children, Jorge had one other very unique situation which he brought to the program. Although he had the use of his thumb, his left hand had been severely mangled and was now deformed. None of us knew quite what this would mean in the classroom. Of course the children noticed; of course the children asked. Jorge was very comfortable answering his toddlers’ questions. “Yes, I got a bad boo-boo when I was playing with firecrackers. You shouldn’t do that, you know. It doesn’t hurt now. See, do you want to touch it?” Here was a completely honest moment between Jorge and the small children. It was filled with no embarrassment. It wasn’t scary. It was that wonderful state of total acceptance that we hope all of us achieve. Jorge, by merely being himself, had provided an unscheduled and unexpected teaching moment. His openness satisfied the curiosity that little kids have about someone who looks different and it removed the fear that often comes from not knowing. The next summer, after his high school graduation, Jorge asked to become an employee as an assistant in the classroom. While completing the employment application he came upon the question: Are you disabled or do you require special consideration? He stopped and asked me how he should answer that question. I asked him, “Do you think you are disabled or need special assistance?” He quickly answered, “No”. So he answered “No” on the form. Jorge intuitively understood the Need To Know rule as it applied to working in the classroom with young children. He had answered all their questions and put their mind at ease. He didn’t elaborate…he just gave simple, understandable answers. The proof of his success came one day when one of the parents visited the office. She hadn’t noticed that Robert’s hand was deformed. He son had mentioned it at the dinner table the night before. “Don’t worry mommy” he said, “it doesn’t hurt him anymore.”
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Elaine S. S. Rexdale, a graduate of Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City, has served as an early childhood educator and administrator over the past 30+ years. She has served in Illinois, Louisiana, and New York in both the public and private educational sectors.
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