Wheeeeee! Went the sirens.
Daddy ran to the fire house; Mama ran to the radio; Danny and Meg ran to the front window.
Whizzzzzz! Went the big red fire engine down the road.
Whizzz! Went the little red pumper after it.
Whiz! Went the Fire Chief's car.
Danny began to dance around the kitchen. He was lifting his feet up high, pretending he was putting on his fire boots. Then he found his winter hat and pulled it over his ears to make-believe it was a fireman's hat. He began to run around the table making siren noises. He was driving his imaginary fire engine.
Meg was watching Danny. Mama was cooking dinner and trying to stay out or Danny's road.
"Mama, when I grow up I might be a fireman like Daddy," said Danny.
"Well. Mama," said Meg," when I grow up I might be a nothing, like you."
"Oh, boy!" said Mama.
***************
Meg is making her own mark in education now, as an assistant dean and Director of the English Language Center at a prestigious university in the Boston area. She recalls the one day her mother (Mama) was the substitute in her ninth grade English class at Chatham High School. (Meg almost had Phyllis as her teacher, but the schedule did not work out that way.) The subject matter dealt with the "Tale of Two Cities," a part of the curriculum that is time honored and traditional in most high school programs. Meg's recollection about that day is "I learned more in that one day than in any of the English classes up to that point. She was a real good teacher."
So much for being a nothing! The work of being a mom is so deceiving and under appreciated. There are everyday things like cooking a meal, getting lunches, washing clothes and dishes, and making sure the children are safe, but the real deal is in the rearing of children goes well beyond those physical things. It goes into the psychic structure of the children and the parent.
How does a child know he or she is worthwhile? I believe it comes from the parent knowing first that he or she is worthwhile, and this self assurance is passed on in concrete observable ways to the children.
When you read the Adventures of Dan and Meg, you notice how they interact with each other, but aside from their zany antics and remarks, you also learn much about the observer of the action, the author and mother, Phyllis. She was able to respect and capture the moment, get behind the faces of Dan and Meg, render it all into a short reflection about life, and save it for posterity, so much better than a mere photo. Phyllis enabled Dan and Meg to participate by having them illustrate the stories, and by so doing, helped them to establish positive attitudes. The fact that they were doing something wonderful for their grand parents further stroked their egos and imagination to become creative participants in their childhood and in their lives.
Phyllis returned to the classroom as an English teacher when Meg entered kindergarten. The same approach which made her motherhood so creative and successful continued to work in the classes she taught, and in her professional development. As she tested her methods in the classroom, she evolved from what was often called a teacher centered style to a student centered approach where she became the coach and the students became the workers. An article that talks about the final stages of this evolution is also on this page. The article appeared in the Coalition of Essential Schools Journal of best teaching practices in 1995.
When Phyllis and I retired from teaching in 1998, Phyllis was the teacher par excellence. Her methods, her rapport with students, her dedication to achieving the highest standard for herself and her students was legendary, and she was probably the best teacher on the planet.
I am so fortunate to be able to learn from her every day.
