Every Wednesday night, around 9:30, I stand in my shower, washing away spit, finger paint, and goldfish crumbs, thinking There has to be a better way... I volunteer in the toddler (ages 2-4) class at our church, called the "Rainbows," and it can be a nightmare. The situation is already precarious by itself, and with the lack of order and discipline that there is (no, I'm not a dictator, but there has to be some way to keep two four-year-olds from erupting into a screaming contest in the middle of the Bible lesson), the class normally dissolves into utter chaos.
The situation:
There are six Rainbows who come almost weekly to class; they're the Regulars. I'll only use their first initials, just because this is going out on the internet. First, we have E and N, both four, best friends, and the worst trouble-makers in the class, possibly of all time. They yell everything they say, exclude other kids from playing with them, call other kids names, erupt into screaming or kicking contests, and cause general mayhem. Then, there's J and C, our two youngest Rainbows, who are either not really or just barely old enough to be in the class. They don't have much perception for what's actually going on in class, and tend to stray from the craft table, or burst into tears, or get injured by the older kids. A is J's older brother, who is four. He's the goody-good, and thank God for that, but he's also the usual target of E and N's bullying, yet still insists on playing with them. Finally, we have O, who's not really a toddler. He's at least six, but he has autism. He would probably fare better in the nursery, where there's not an actual class going on and he can roam and play with toys to his liking. But, it's just not safe for him to be around the babies. Therefore, he's in the toddler class. If you don't know any of the symptoms of autism, then I'll tell you that O normally runs around the class yelling and babbling, opens and slams the door, eats crayons, glue, and anything he can put in his mouth, and escapes from the room. He has a fascination with the TV and the TV remote, and will go to great lengths to mess with either, which includes standing on chairs, toy tubs, and the train table in order to reach them. He can't help his behavior, but when the other kids see him up and running around the room, they think it's okay for them to do the same. Thus, whenever we try to sit down and have craft time, the kids will start talking or yelling or playing with each other, or they'll get up and start playing with toys. The only time they'll actually come sit at the table is during snack time, and usually then O starts apple juice-binging, drinking up every drop of juice he can get his hands on, and often taking the other kids cups.
Needless to say, the teacher and I are regularly overwhelmed. I don't want you to think these are horrible kids--they're all wonderful, but put together they're a cocktail of disaster. We're constantly having to keep O from hurting himself, and then E and N from disrupting class, and then J and C from wandering away. Then, A and any other kid who comes to the class gets pushed out of the picture, in essence being punished for their good behavior. Isn't there a way to fix this? These kids are preschool age, and I doubt most preschools are this chaotic, even with twice the kids. I feel like there needs to be a discipline and rewards system. Like, a card system, where if your card is green, you're okay; if your card is yellow, you have a warning; and if your card is red, you lose snack. Then, maybe if you do something good, you get a blue card, the reward being something like a cool sticker; and if you get a white card, you get a sticker and a cookie with your snack. Would this work? I don't know. I feel there would be fierce retaliation at first, but after a few weeks, it might help. But, because I'm only the teacher's assistant, and not an adult, I don't feel it's my place to suggest new teaching methods. Besides, this doesn't solve the problem with O, who needs special attention that we can't give him when trying to teach five other kids at the same time. Still, I'm thinking of ways to bring it up without sounding...like I know better than the teacher. But until that day, every Wednesday night will be a chagrin. At least I'm getting community service hours.
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