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Traveled by Dr. Scott Peck (1978). Felicia was firm in her resolve to keep searching for
her journey’s direction. Felicia returned to CEGEP, taking part-time psychology courses.
During this time she found work as a nanny and cared for a young boy who was
also enrolled in a child care program. As part of her duties, Felicia was required to drop
off and pick up the child from child care. The teachers at the centre were impressed with
Felicia and the care she demonstrated towards the child in her charge. She was eventually
offered a position. According to Felicia, it was like “trying on gloves that fit perfectly.”
She switched her night courses to early childhood education and after a few years of
combining work in the field with coursework, she enrolled in the full-time program to
finish her diploma and subsequently moved to Toronto.
Response to the study.
My first encounter with Felicia pre-dates her employment at this centre. It took
place during a visit to her previous place of employment, a workplace child care program
in a hospital that was incorporating a more emergent focus to their curriculum. Felicia
describes her classroom in that centre, at the time as being theme-based, but at the same
time she was trying to incorporate an approach to children’s behaviour that focused on
conflict resolution. Children were encouraged to resolve conflicts when “dilemmas”
arose. If arguments over possessions occurred, Felicia would approach to ask “what is
happening?” The children became adept at responding “we have a dilemma” and
articulating the conflict “he has the toy and I want it.” The children were encouraged to
make suggestions for resolution.
Felicia was very content and remembers the first few projects fondly. Word had
spread not only about her conflict resolution strategies but also of her successful project