Van Asselt

The week before Christmas break and the week following were spent at a school on Beacon Hill. I went there to help with a little boy who was out of control - throwing temper tantrums, screaming, running away and generally disrupting any attempts toward teaching the other 8 children in their special education kindergarten class. I walked in and discovered that the teacher was someone who had worked for me at Lake City. She and the other instructional aid had been working hard at bringing structure and boundaries to this sweet little class. As the story unfolded for me, I learned that they had been through two other teachers and were determined to make this new team work.

So I came in with Miss Pearl and offered my services in any way I could. Thus began a happy relationship with a classroom that has touched my heart. I left yesterday so very grateful for the opportunity to let my deep joy answer a need.

Not to say that every moment was a delight - far from it. I had to forge bonds with each of the kids and learn how to curtail the temper tantrums of the little boy who was at the center of the maelstorm. There were times when I was counting the minutes I had left but there were also times when I could see that my presence was making a difference. In the end I could tell that a new norm had been established and I'm confident they can carry on without me. What I've discovered in my three months in the Seattle school district is that using my puppets helps me to forge bonds much more quickly than I could without them. Miss Pearl, with her southern accent and pristine manners can calm a rowdy Kindergarten class faster than anything else I've ever seen. She asks for behavior that it would take me days to cultivate and she does it in such a loving and gentle way. I appreciate this so much because I know that many of these children are used to screaming and yelling (from their parents) in order to get them to listen.

I don't know where this adventure in substitute para-professionalism and puppetry is leading but I'm confident that I'm learning, growing and serving. And that can't be all bad or bad at all.