"H-e-double hockey sticks"

Yesterday, I was at the preschool subbing with the 2-year-olds. We went in the gymnasium running around, while the three-year-olds were playing with a parachute. As I watched them waving the chute around, one boy got a bit agitated. The next words out of his mouth, in response to whatever the first child did to irritate him, were, "What the hell was that for?"

At first, I thought I may have heard wrong, but upon seeing his teachers' faces, it was confirmed that he actually had said it. The assistant teacher pulled him aside and told him to never say it again, etc. and the lead teacher called to her, "He probably doesn't realize it's a bad word." He cried as he was reprimanded, then went back on his merry way with the rest of the children.

It was sad though. Of course, at age three, you can only assume he is hearing that word frequently at home. Why else would he utter such a thing? It's never used at school, by teachers who specifically work to not say any foul language.

Parents fail to realize just how preceptive children are. Perhaps, the sentence was never used directly to him, but maybe it was used in a fight between parents. Or an older brother or sister said it to friends. It's hard to say. It's little incidences like this, however, that mold a person. I think often about how each little tiny piece of our life influences us, no matter how small we think it is at the time.

I think that is one reason I want to be an elementary school teacher. I want to be part of what molds people's lives. In my opinion, early experiences are some of the biggest and most life altering. They are things that shape our very core. I want to make sure I am part of what influences a child's life. Hopefully, I can change the course of their lives for the better. Can a teacher really do that? I don't know, but if it is possible, I want to try.