Reality Checks

Betty Hiteshew observed, "Every culture has its storytellers — those wise persons who gather young and old around the campfire, flickering flames reflected in their eyes, the darkening shadows at bay, while they weave a magic spell, entertaining, amusing, surprising us with tales of the real and the unreal.  Such a wise person is Docia Zavitkovsky, who has been gathering early childhood educators around figurative campfires (lighted in odd places like convention centers) across the country for many a long year."

To the end of her years, Docia continued to educate through telling stories, including "Docia Stories" shared in every issue of Exchange.  Here is an example...

"People who have cared for children for a long period of time sometimes unwittingly, or wittingly, develop a feeling of being omnipotent.  An incident like the following can jolt one back to the realization that one is not infallible.

"I was visiting a center and volunteered to stay and help a young, first year substitute teacher who was having difficulty with a group of lively four year olds at rest time.  I was confident in my ability to handle any situation that might arise, so was unprepared when, using all my talent, the children paid no attention to me.  My suggestions and requests were completely ignored.  In fact, two of the children slithered under a cot and declared their intent to stay there.  As the situation began to deteriorate, and the noise level increased, the head teacher appeared in the doorway and, as if by magic, order was restored. 

"The young substitute thanked me for being willing to help and then said, 'You have no idea what you have done for me.  I thought I just wasn't a good teacher, but you with all your experience couldn't do any better than I did.  What a relief.'  I agreed with her and then we talked about how it wasn't that we were incompetent, but rather that we were new to the children and they didn't know what to expect from us.  They knew the expectations of the head teacher and testing wasn't necessary.

"There is nothing like a group of four year olds to bring one down to normal size."

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