The Fridge: Employee Spotlight

In conjunction with our new initiative to bring you the loveliest art work from our little ones at Serenity Place, The Fridge, we want to share the spotlight with some of our valuable employees who make it possible for our kids to make such masterpieces. This month we talked with Ms. Sally Duncan, the lead teacher in the Toddler room.

When Daniel* first arrived at Serenity Place he was withdrawn and shy. He wouldn’t talk. He kept his head down. This is typical behavior for a three year old with his background.

As soon as the music came on, though, Daniel smiled.

“The best part of my job is getting to see a child make that transformation,” explains Ms. Sally, the lead teacher in the Toddler room, and, not to mention Employee of the Quarter. Many of our children come from homes where addiction is present. As a result, these children are often neglected and don’t receive the proper attention necessary for healthy brain development. They don’t know what to do with a book or a box of crayons, and they certainly aren’t ready for mainstream classrooms.

Daniel blossomed when he heard music playing so she made sure to include music daily in the class room. “It really brought him out.” In addition to playing favorite children’s songs like “The Wheels on the Bus,” the teachers encourage the children to make their own music; spilling out buckets of instruments and even including pots and pans. They learn rhythm even through free play, Sally tells me.

Music is just way one to bring the children at Serenity Place out of their shells. It’s not the only way. That’s why it’s important, Sally says, to include activities daily that are geared towards each child’s preference.

During her time working at Serenity Place, Sally has worked in the infant room, the toddler room, and the preschool room. The toddler room is by far her favorite because every single thing is a learning experience. The children get the experience of finding out glue is sticky, that mixing colors creates a new one. “It’s not so much about the name of colors, but experiencing different materials,” she says. “They get to learn about different textures—sponges, brushes, fingers…”

Sally explains two different processes for creativity used in the toddler classroom. The first is teacher guided, where the end result, or the product, is more important. The second is much more oriented around the process—what the kids discover through music, art, and free time—how they put their imagination to work.

The structure of the classroom and the attention of the staff truly help the children flourish. Though they’ve been exposed to so much, they are much more resilient than adults. They learn to trust and they learn to cope. They learn that red and blue makes purple, that pots and pans can be musical instruments. They learn to use their imaginations and be themselves.

According to Sally, working in the toddler room is really rewarding and really challenging, but most importantly, she really loves it!

*Name has been changed.