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Mary would advise others to establish control at the beginning of the year to allow
for the later opportunities for curriculum. Much of her advice is directed towards
managers of child care settings. Any top-down directive concerning a particular
curriculum that comes from administration and is handed to the teaching staff to
implement needs to come with support, encouragement, and preparation time.
Conclusion
With an uneven road taken, and as a weary traveler, Mary’s journey has been
difficult. Along the way her confidence has grown with experience, but contextual factors
have limited her development. The starts and stops that characterize the road taken
represent the precarious balance of family and work that Mary faced on her journey.
Mary has never questioned taking the journey as her heart is with children. It has
guided her path and has strengthened her abilities to manage a classroom. While the
journey is halted, Mary contemplates the future and knows that further progress will
always be determined by the needs of her own family.
Case Study Number Four: The Gifted Traveler
When I entered Felicia’s classroom, a child immediately asked “who are you?” I
responded that “I am here to see all the wonderful things you are doing in your
classroom.” The child then asked “Like the pirate ship but that will be taken down
today?” I then asked if they were starting something new in the classroom and she
responded “Yes, great artists.”