Perception of Others

I used to think children were such narcissists, only capable of thinking for their own good. But, it was the day that Jane was having a difficult day did I figure otherwise.

Jane is typically one of our "star" students She’s always enthusiastically engaged with the Jumpstart curriculum. She’s very attentive and responsive. Most importantly, she’s cooperative; she gets along well with the other students and the Corp members. But, recently, Jane hasn’t been herself. When the tide started to change, she opened up to Quincey during Center Time at the writing station. While she was drawing a picture, Jane told Quincey nonchalantly, “My mom left us last night.” Although we never understood the entire story, we understood that troubles at home were distracting Jane; it was affecting her behavior. I think the other students could pick up on it, too, because Jane is usually a delight for everyone.

The other day during dramatic play, we were pretending to keep from the rain. There were rain hats, umbrellas, and ponchos. The ponchos were a hit, but there were only a few to go around which caused some conflict. Jane had started at another station before coming to dramatic play. So, when she joined, she immediately went to a student with a poncho and demanded it from her. Jane had been super fussy that day. Her hair was frazzled, and she looked tired and sick. When she demanded the poncho from Ann, she tried to snatch it from her. But, Ann wouldn’t budge. Before I could settle the conflict between the two, I had to send Jane to another station so that they could both settle down. Because Ann already had a chance with the poncho, I tried to convince her to give Jane a turn. But, she still wouldn’t budge. So, I told Ann to look at Jane. I asked her, “Doesn’t Jane look sad today? She doesn’t seem very happy, huh?” Ann nodded in full agreement, suddenly conscious about her behavior. So, then I told her, “Maybe we can make Jane happy today if we gave her a turn. You had fun with the poncho maybe Jane will, too.” When Jane came back to the dramatic play, Ann immediately took off the poncho and gave it to Jane. Ann had momentarily stopped thinking for herself to make someone else happy.

I’ve realized that children are naturally inclined to be ego maniacs. But, I’ve also realized as a Corp member that children are so malleable that they can be taught to be perceptive. So, I’ve come to understand that Jumpstart can be a time that children can learn to think outside of themselves. 

~Katie Kuy
Corps Member
Team Courage