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then displays a framed print and tells the children that this artist usually depicts ballet
dancers. A child calls out “Degas” and goes on to say “I went to a place that had all his
pictures.”
To conclude, Felicia announces that “this week what I am finding is that there are
many artists. Here is our dilemma: When we were talking about animals, which was a big
project we decided on only a few animals. Now we can focus on a smaller group of
artists.” The children voted on their favourite artists and the names were recorded. Felicia
introduced the children to the painting on the underside of the table with a print of
Michelangelo’s work from the Sistine Chapel. A child said, “It is kind of cracking” and
another replied “It’s not the paper it is the actual church.”
Context.
Like Rose, Felicia is in her early thirties and has been in the field for ten years.
She does not have the same family commitments as Layla or Mary, but her journey has
had a very nonlinear trajectory. Felicia’s journey has had the same spiralling quality as
Mary’s, having taken a few altering routes before settling on a path which she hopes will
lead to new and challenging directions.
Now settled, Felicia works while attending university part-time studying for a
degree in early childhood education. Her current place of employment is a child care
program within a community centre in one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city.
This centre is a non-profit organization operated by a community Board of Directors of
parents and community members and has higher-than-usual tuition fees and a waiting list.
In total there are approximately one hundred children in the program ranging from
toddlers (18 months to 2 1/2 years) to the senior kindergarten children (ages five and six).