A few years ago I worked for part of one year as an assistant to a preschool director who had a specialized program for four and five year olds with an emphasis on expression through the arts. On one occasion, as a part of this job, it was my responsibility to accompany a group of eight four- and five-year-old children on a field trip to the ceramics department of the local art school. This field trip was a part of a larger unit on the theme of "How Things Are Made."
I was the only one to accompany the eight children to the ceramics division of the art school, but within the ceramics studio, a female graduate student made the presentation to the children. At one point during the hour session, the head of the art department came in to say "hello" to us and to see if the graduate student needed any assistance. The purpose of this visit was to give the children some real-world hands-on experience with a professional in the field of ceramics. It was important to the director of the school that each experience of the children help them become acquainted with the world in a way that would help them express themselves creatively.
My role was that of the familiar leader and guide for the children. It was my job to get them to the ceramics studio safely and to see that their emotional and physical needs were met during the experience. The graduate student instructor had complete charge of the presentation and the materials involved, although I did assist her as I understood what she was doing. Everyone was clear about their own responsibilities, as that had been discussed ahead of time in a phone meeting between the art school director and the preschool director.
The student instructor showed the group several beautiful pieces of pottery and gave each child a ball of clay to work with as she explained various techniques. At this point I became a facilitator. I moved from child to child to see that they were understanding what...