Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Education of Jennifer

A True Story: names have been changed:
     Jackson found it difficult to read a complete sentence without hesitation.  His writing skills were below grade level.  He was a mediocre athelete- loyal in reporting to practice, diligent in his efforts, but still mediocre.  However, as I sat in the observation booth watching him, I felt a trememdous sense of pride in his ability.
     The child development/parenting classes where I was teaching, and at that moment observing, were for juniors and seniors.  The  high school students enjoyed the class.  Because of learning so much about why little children behave as they do, the older students often learned a lot about themselves in the process.  In addition to learning developmental skill patterns of children and parenting skills for adults, the students had the opportunity to work with fifteen three-to-five year olds brought into the child development center.They had the sole responsibility for planning and executing activities for the youngsters.While one third of the high school students worked with the children, two thirds of them carried out structured observation. As their teacher, my position was to remain in the observation booth and evaluate the student workers. I tried to allow the student teachers as much freedom as I possibly could in handling problems as they arose; however,I was always available if they got in trouble.  We had only one rule in all of my classes, and that was a simple rephrasing of the Golden Rule:  treat each other the way you want to be treated.  Whether we were dealing with each other as teacher and students, or working with the little children, we practiced that directive.  I have always believed that mutual respect is the only way to maintain order in any classroom, and the Golden Rule says it better than any rule I ever could have formulated.  The high school students were always treated as adults; they treated me with utmost respect, and discipline was never a problem.
     Jackson was one of the students who had chosen to take my class, and he had attended for a full semester.  His skills in working with the children had progressively improved until he now felt secure enough to be in charge of one of the learning centers alone.  We watched and listened as he directed activities, encouraged the children, and praised them appropriately.  As I listened, I recalled the shy young man who first entered my classroom just weeks earlier and realized how much he had changed.
     A particularly precocious four-year-old was in the learning center, quietly drawing and interacting with Jackson.  She looked up quite unexpectedly and said, "I don't like you, cause you've got black skin".
     Students around me gasped, shocked that a child would make such a statement, yet understanding  all the while the honesty with which a four-year-old speaks.  The group looked at me in unison, as if to say,"Well, aren't you going to do something?"  I sat very still awaiting Jackson's response.
     Very calmly, Jackson smiled at her and said, "Well, that's all right.  You've got white skin, and I like you just the same."
     The two returned to their art project, and the conversation that followed left us with a sense of love and brotherhood seldom felt.
     "Where'd you get your black skin"?
     "Well, I've just always had black skin."
     "No, you haven't!  Did't you used to have white skin?"
     Jackson laughed.  "No, I was born this way. When I was a little-bitty baby about this long (he measured with his hands) I had black skin."
     "No, you didn't!"
     "I did, too!  Honest! You were born with white skin, and I was born with black skin."
     The drawing continued for a few minutes longer with Jennifer seemingly deep in thought.  Then--"May I draw your picture?"
     Assuming his most "macho" position, Jackson answered, "Sure, does this look o.k.?"
     Jennifer smiled, and picking up a black crayon, drew a circle on the paper.  She very lightly colored the circle, drawing some eyes, a nose, a mouth.
     Suddenly, her mouth dropped open, her eyes opened widely, and she practically screamed, "Oh, my goodness you've got black ears."
     Jackson laughed again and responded, "Of course I do. And you've got white ears."
     She finished drawing the exaggerated black ears and looked up at Jackson's hair, seemingly seeing it for the first time. Very shyly, she whispered,"May I feel your hair"?
     "Sure you can, if you'll let me feel yours."
     And there they sat -he stroking her long silky tresses, and she patting his closely cropped curls.  They sat there for what seemed an unusually long time, staring at each other and allowing their differences to be thoroughly explored.
     She went back to her drawing, making sure that each curl was carefully placed.  When she finished, Jackson asked,"May I have my picuture?  It looks just like me!"
     Jennifer smiled and handed it to him,  Then suddenly she climed on his lap, threw her arms around his neck, and squeezing him hard, whispered, "I love you.  You are my very best friend."
     "And I love you too, Jennifer.  You'll always be my friend, too."
      There were no dry eyes among those observing that scenario.  We had watched a miracle unfold.  The emotion of the moment was overwhelming.
     As I sat in my classroom that afternoon, long after the halls were quiet and the sounds of youth had evaporated, I recalled the incident.  Maybe, just maybe, the Golden Rule had made an impact on Jackson and the other students. Maybe, just maybe, life-long learning had taken place.  That, after all, is what teaching is all about.
     In a short twenty minutes, perhaps Jackson had succeeded in changing a little girl's whole concept of prejudice.  He might have shouted angrily at her,"That's o.k. I don't like you either."  But he didn't respond that way.  Through his love for children and his tolerance of child-llike behavior, he just may have brought about life-long changes in Jennifer's attitude toward others.  For one day at least, he taught her the real meaning of unconditional love, the love that Christ has for us, His children.    I love you just the way you are - no matter what you say, what you do, what color you are, what you wear, how you look.
       How fortunate Jennifer was to have met Jackson.
    

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