Young Children - May 2008 - (Page 44) In the PReSChool PRogRam where I (Pam) previously taught, children were constantly arguing over who would be first in line, first with an activity, first in a game, and so on. to solve such conflicts quickly but not arbitrarily, I created a leader of the Day routine to coordinate turn taking. the children always wanted to know when it was their turn to be leader. When I moved to my current position at a university laboratory school, I was unsure whether this practice was too traditional. I now taught 20 children, instead of 10, and I was concerned about how long the children would have to wait for their turn. I soon learned from staff that other classrooms had similar routines, like helper of the Day or Classroom assistant. So, I sent a letter home to families: When Will I Be Special? Dora W. Chen and Pamela Battin-Sacks, with Robert Prieto and Colleen Prieto Rethinking Developmentally Appro On September 10, Nursery III will begin a Leader of the Day program. The leader will have special privileges, such as being first for activities and assisting the teacher at circle time. Sometimes the leader will have other special tasks, depending on the curriculum. . . . I have attached the schedule so you can mark on your calendar your child’s special day. from a 4-yearold, “When will I be special?” prompted us to reexamine a routine classroom practice at the Child Study and Development Center at the University of New Hampshire. It led to some important learning about considering things from the children’s perspective and maintaining open, two-way communications with families. Through multiple voices, this article shares the story of teacher reflection, parental concern, perspective taking, and cooperation toward seeking a concept of leaders, leadership, and developmentally appropriate practices. The simple question Different points of view Leader of the Day—or Helper or Star or Student of the Day—is a common classroom routine in which one child in the class has special jobs and privileges, such as sitting in a special seat above others during group time, making announcements on behalf of the teacher, being the line leader, picking songs, or making other decisions for the class. Although the children in Pam’s class seemed to look forward to their turn to be the leader, one child’s question about when he would be special caused the child’s family to ask about the rationale for this practice. Parents seemed happy. their children looked forward to coming to school, and this special position was exciting for them. But one day, one child asked his parents, “When will I be special?” Dora Chen, PhD, is associate director at the Child Study and Development Center (CSDC) and assistant professor in the Department of Family Studies at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Since 1980 she has served as a teacher, teacher educator, and consultant for local and international early childhood programs. dora.chen@unh.edu Pamela Battin-Sacks, EdM, is a lead teacher at the University of New Hampshire Child Study and Development Center in Durham. Her work with families and children, as a teacher, parent educator, and family therapist, spans 32 years. pkbs23@earthlink.net Robert Prieto, BS, is an engineering consultant, and Colleen Prieto, BA, is a Head Start program planner in Massachusetts. As parents they value and respect diversity and appreciate CSDC’s commitment to children and its openness to family concerns. prietofamily@comcast.net Illustration © Diane Greenseid. Robert and Colleen express concern as parents For us, the phrase “special privileges” set off the proverbial alarm bells. In our home, we want to teach our children about the importance of fairness, justice, and equity for all. We were uncomfortable with the idea that the Leader of the Day activity might teach our child that leaders are somehow better than other people and deserve something more than everyone else—special privileges. ® 1, 2, 3 Young Children • May 2008 44
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