A Toddler's Happiness

This past week, God has revealed to me once more of why I want to become a kindergarten teacher. It was in just the simplest way, too. I work in a toddler's room at a church on Wednesday evenings where I watch 2-year-olds for about two hours. There is this one little boy who, for since I started working there, was probably the unhappiest little boy I had seen in awhile. No matter what me or my roommate (who works there with me too) did, he just did not seem to ever have fun. We would see him playing with a toy, and whenever we said something to him about it, he would just drop it and stare at us with a blank expression. Then only when we turned away would he pick up the toy and continue playing with it. The other toddlers we were watching just ran around everywhere and yelled and had a good time, but not him. He never once laughed, made a noise, or even smiled. It made me sad and I didn't understand why. So I continued every night I was there to try to reach out to this little boy and maybe see if there was anything hiding beneath the surface. And then finally this last week, his mom dropped him off at 6 as usual, but this time he was very upset and just crying when she tried to leave him. So she took him for a little bit to calm him down and then tried again. He was still crying but I came over to him, so she could go to service. I was just thinking, "Oh great, this is how tonight is gonna be." He was crying really hard but I just hugged him as he cried into my shoulder, and then he did not want to let go of me. So I put him in my lap and just talked to him as he calmed himself down. I let him know that I was there and he was gonna have fun that night. Soon he started playing like normal, but this time he seemed happier. Then my roommate brought out the secret weapon to any 2-year-old's happiness: bubbles. All the little kids jumped around while she blew bubbles for them to pop. All of them were laughing and yelling but he was the loudest and happiest of them all. He was smiling from ear to ear and I couldn't help but smile looking at him. He seemed like a completely different kid! It was amazing to see him transform. After that, he would come up to us, and smile and laugh and show us how his dinosaur toy could "raawwrrrr!!" At the end of the night whenever his mom came to pick him up, he didn't leave without saying "bye" to me and smiling as he did. God is so good and loves to show us his goodness in the smallest ways. That boy reminded me exactly why I want to become a teacher. I never saw myself as becoming one, but I definitely can now. I want to have a chance to make a difference in someone's life, even the littlest person. I have felt like our first teachers in our lives are also our first role models in our lives as well. I'll never forget my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Williams. She was the happiest and funniest lady who was just happy with life. I want to make that impact in someone's life. I want to reach out to the kids who need it. And I want to become a source of change in their life. I am earning my degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. God has led me on this path and I intend to follow it with full force.