The Amish Teacher's Dilemma. Patricia Davids
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“Find out what they know.” Dinah took a sip of tea from a white mug. “Parents in this community have made certain that their little ones understand a goot amount of English before the first grade because they were going to attend an Englisch school. That may not be the case for some of our new arrivals.”
Amish children spoke Pennsylvania Dutch at home but school was where they learned English to communicate with non-Amish neighbors, merchants and customers. English and German reading and writing were both taught in school but only English was spoken there.
“You will need a teacher’s helper,” Bethany said. “My little sister Jenny will be happy to take on the task.”
Eva had often been a teacher’s helper. It had been her job to hand out readers to the three lowest grades and help any of the younger children with their schoolwork. Having such a position was the only preparation a young Amish woman normally had before becoming a teacher. It was the responsibility of the teacher to show her replacement what she needed to know for several months before letting her take over.
Eva remembered the oldest students working on their math or science assignments during the morning hours while the teacher listened to the small ones read. When the older students were finished with their work, they helped the younger children who needed assistance. In the Amish school she had attended, each scholar knew what was expected of them, and they did it without instructions. For many of the children it would be a big change from learning in a public school. They would all have to become accustomed to new routines. As would their teacher.
“You can expect mothers to sit in on classes to see what their children are learning for the first few weeks,” Dinah said. “I’m sure you remember school outings.”
She did but she hadn’t considered that she would have to plan them. There would be picnics and special trips to be arranged. Eva sighed heavily. She wasn’t sure she was up to the task. Becoming a teacher had seemed so easy when she was reading the want ad in her brother’s home.
Dinah refilled everyone’s cup. “This year will be our first Amish school Christmas program. I know the children and the parents are excited about that.”
The Christmas program! How could she have forgotten about planning a Christmas program? There would be songs and poems to be practiced. Somehow, she would have to come up with a play for the children to perform. She grasped Dinah’s arm. “How do I find Christmas plays and poems for the kinder?”
Dinah patted her hand. “Not to worry. I will give you the address for The Bulletin Board. It’s a newsletter put out by Amish teachers. You can ask any question and get a dozen sound answers from teachers with years of experience and some who have new ideas.”
Gemma frowned slightly. “I wonder where my husband is. Jesse was going to pick me up this afternoon. Hope has a doctor’s appointment and Dale Kaufman was going to drive us into Caribou.”
“Has she been sick?” Eva asked in concern.
Gemma shook her head. “Nothing like that. She was born prematurely, and she is at risk for developmental delays. Our midwife insists that Hope’s pediatrician keep close tabs on her. So far she is hitting all her milestones, Gott be praised.”
“Gott be praised indeed,” came a man’s deep voice from the sitting room. He stepped into the kitchen and dwarfed the little room. Eva had heard the expression a mountain of a man but she had never met one until now.
Gemma got up from the table with Hope in her arms. “I thought you forgot us.”
“Never. I was sidetracked for a few minutes by a little girl who wanted me to push her on the swings because her brothers were all busy and Bubble said I could do it.”
Eva grinned. “Maddie is adorable. I wish I could be like her.”
Bethany laughed. “Because she gets to say anything and blame it on her imaginary friend? I can see the appeal in that.”
“Are you going to take a meal to the Gingrich clan again tonight?” Jesse asked with a rumble of humor in his deep voice.
Eva shook her head, not the least bit surprised that Maddie had mentioned her gesture. “I may do some baking for them tomorrow. I was going to spread the word at the next prayer meeting that they need some ready-made meals.”
The three women exchanged puzzled glances. Dinah drummed her fingers on the table. “We took the family meals for the first week after they arrived, but Willis insisted he didn’t need more help.”
Eva could see him letting his pride get in the way of accepting help. “According to Maddie and Bubble he is a poor cook. Speaking of Bubble, what am I going to do with Maddie’s imaginary friend in the first grade?”
“That you will have to decide for yourself,” Dinah said. “I’ve known of a few Amish children with imaginary friends but never one that brought his or her friend to school.”
Outside a car horn honked. Jesse took the baby from his wife’s arms. The look in his eyes and his tender smile told Eva how much he loved his little girl. “We should get going. Dale hates to be kept waiting.”
Dinah rose to her feet. “I should get going, too. My husband says my work would take half as long if I stopped talking. I hate to tell him it’s never going to happen.”
Eva follow her guests outside. She waved as Jesse and Gemma were driven away in a yellow pickup by a middle-aged Englisch fellow wearing a red ball cap. Dinah helped Bethany into the buggy on the passenger side and closed the door then turned back to Eva. “As a teacher you will be in a unique position to judge the welfare of your scholars. Our bishop is a kind man. If you feel a child’s family may be in need, don’t hesitate to mention it to him.”
It was another aspect of being a teacher that Eva hadn’t considered. She would be responsible for more than teaching the children to read and write and umpiring their softball games at recess. Could she do it all well enough or would Samuel send her packing?
She hadn’t been in New Covenant for more than a few days, but she would be sad to leave the friends she had made if she failed to please the school board. She gazed across the road and saw Willis shoeing a small black-and-white horse. It looked like Maddie would finally get to ride her pony. Willis looked up, smiled and gave a brief nod of acknowledgment in her direction before turning his attention to his task once more.
Of all the people she had met in New Covenant she suspected that Willis and his family would be the ones she would miss the most.
Eva went back inside the house. Her footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors as she crossed to her desk and picked up her favorite story. She sat down to read. Halfway through the first chapter she closed the book and laid it aside. The house was too quiet.
She crossed to the window that overlooked the street and opened it. She heard Willis calling his siblings in for supper. Harley and Otto were in a good-natured shoving match on the way to the door. Maddie walked behind, scolding them loudly as they ignored her. Willis admonished them to hurry. When they were all inside he shut the door, cutting off the sounds of his active family.
Eva slowly closed the window. She wouldn’t get a cat to keep her company. Cats were much too quiet.
The following morning was cool with a drizzling rain that dampened Eva’s spirits. A restless night had weakened her resolve and left her wondering if she had made the right decision coming to Maine. Would she be able to provide the guidance and education the community expected her to deliver to their children? What if she wasn’t suited to the job? What then? As Samuel had pointed out, her employment was only guaranteed for one month at a time.
Would that be enough time to learn all she needed to know?
If she lost the