Abstract
In 1985–86 the author was a visitor in an elementary school in the Netherlands. He describes his first nervous days as the observer who preserves his distance and then as the participant who feels at home because he is involved in the life of the school. The children welcome him with warmth and understanding and the teachers with tasks that awaken him to the meaning of being a teacher with young children. At the end of his year in the school, when he reviews his notes to identify themes that seem characteristic, he finds that enthusiasm for learning, patience with the children's progress, spontaneity in response to children's interest, and the use of drama are recurring patterns in the classrooms of the preschoolers.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.