at the preschool at my temple where I work, several of the children have had big breakthroughs! One child suddenly decided he can pee standing up and by himself, a girl we previously thought to only speak Russian started speaking in full English sentences without uttering a word before, and a boy who had only played by himself started engaging fully with the other kids and became Mr. Popular.
Getting to know the children has been so exciting, because at this age, they are going through so many changes! It's so special to be a part of that for these kids. Being part of the potty training process, the socialization process, even just speaking and making silly noises...it makes me feel important and responsible. I love watching their personalities develop and seeing how they interact with the other children.
While they are all quite the little characters, I am also conscious of what they are being taught. It's fascinating to observe how gender roles are perpetuated in the classroom by the children themselves (one boy has long dreadlocks and at first the other children didn't understand how a boy could have long hair, and they kept calling him a "her"). It is impossible at this point to tell what is taught and what is intrinsic, but either way, it is so vital at this age to minimize gender-role talk. I hope I make a sliver of difference in the development of these precious children!!!!
Two interesting related links:
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/the-camp-counselor-vs-the-intern/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2012/06/28/7-ways-youre-hurting-your-daughters-future/
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they are lucky to have you, Jordana
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