'I learned more...'

The year I taught preschool at the Richland Learning Center in Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, Johnstown, Pa., the children changed me far more than I changed them.

I made the mistake of assuming all preschoolers were the same, but they weren't willing to fit into the categories in which I tried to place them. I learned that what delighted Tyler, scared Jacob. That Rachel and Kyra should not be forced to play together, even if they're both 5 years old. That Illyanna responded to a sharp voice with grateful obedience, while McKenzie was shocked to tears.