Piece of the Puzzle

            At training during second semester we learned about classroom management and it made me look at our children in a new light. Some children are more engaged while some can’t sit still for four minutes. Will these features continue throughout these kids life, or is it just a phase? I can picture Adam squirming around in his chair even as a high school Freshman or Tom skipping around his chemistry class in twelve years.

             One of the children in our classroom, David, once told the after school teacher that Jumpstart and Grandma were his favorite. He didn’t like his mom, dad, or anything else, just Grandma and Jumpstart. This one statement sent a shock through my spine. Jumpstart makes that much influence in these children’s lives. We are foreign to these children,  how many times have they seen an eighteen year old college student so up close and personal. We are reliable and consistent  twice a week, no matter what. As we become more attached to these children however, it scares me. When we leave in April, what will happen to our children? I would hope that they go on to have bright futures. I can see David as an accountant, Natalie as a librarian, and Tom as a computer programmer. I wish that our Jumpstart team could follow our children throughout life, to see if what we have done makes any difference, or what these kids become capable of doing. Alas, this is not realistic, especially given the age gap. If one day I was to friend Derek on Facebook, I would surely be rejected, and understandably so. Will they remember Miss. Alexis a year from now? Even if they don’t remember my name or face, I hope that they remember Jumpstart and all the fun they had with us. As hard as it will be to say goodbye in April, and I try not to think about it, I also think about the great times we’ve had with our kids and I tell myself that they will certainly look back one day and remember their preschool days. I’m convinced that our Jumpstart kids will have amazing futures, and I’m proud to have been a piece of the puzzle in developing skills they will use throughout their life.

~ Alexis Maxwell
Team Leader
Team Kindness