Small Impacts

As a teacher of young children, I often wonder if anything I say or do is making impact. Young kids don't give you much feedback and many times you don't see the growth.

I know the kids in music class are enjoying themselves and they laugh at my silliness. They sing and move and play instruments, all good and fun things. But I still I wonder if what we say and do is of any consequence or impact.

On the mornings I'm at MDO, I usually stand by my door and say hello. Some look at me but don't say anything; some wave; some say good morning. (And those are just the parents.) But at times a child will call me by name or tell a parent who I am or just smile and wave as if they are glad to see me.

Today I greeted kids as they arrived. One dad carried his daughter down the hall. I said good morning and they walked by. The girl looked at me over Dad's shoulder. I heard her say, "That is...." I didn't hear the rest as they moved away. As I watched, the girl kept talking. Then she opened and closed her hands repeatedly, in a rhythm. For the past couple of weeks, we've been singing and "Open, Shut Them" song, opening and closing our hands. I immediately recognized what she was doing. Hmm. Maybe something stuck.

Later, after 3s had come to music, I walked down the hall to one of the classrooms. I heard the teacher say, "Trumpet and fiddle and bass drum?" They were talking about one of the instrument songs that we sing. Those are some of the featured instruments we pretend to play. When the teacher saw me, she said they were telling her all about the songs they sang.

I get joy from leading these preschoolers in music. But today, I received even more joy, joy that our time together has made some small impact on them.

Today's Joy: Evidence that what I'm doing matters