I had just finished two years of Crossways (thank you to Annetta and Warren Olson), had young children, and summoned up my courage to request from our then Director of Youth Education the opportunity to teach for two years in Sunday School. I explained that I had never taught young children (except for my own) and that although I had taught at the university level, this was entirely different and I felt very insecure. A week later the director contacted me with a big smile and said that he had the right place for me—kindergarten. When I arrived at our first meeting I learned that I had been paired up with a wonderful woman who had raised 5 children and was now enjoying grandchildren. Moreover she had taught kindergarten Sunday School for years. And so Nadine Bush entered my life—and became a friend and teacher.
I quickly discovered there were two Nadine Bushes—one was the friendly, warm Nadine who I saw in church with friends and the other was the Nadine who lit up the kindergarten classroom and held “her children's” love and interest from the time they entered the classroom until they left at the end of class. I had much to learn from Nadine—she left nothing to chance. Nadine carried a big bag of “goodies” for the children. She had everything in it pertaining to the Sunday School lesson as well as “surprises” for her children. With children that age you must be well prepared and have more than enough activities to do or you will lose their attention. She used every minute she had with “her children”.
From the time they walked into the room, there was no “wasted time”. Mrs Bush knew every one of her children well. They would come eagerly over to her before class and talk about what important had occurred in their life during the week—and at the same time they would work on their before-class activity. I never wondered where Mrs Bush was—I just looked for the big group of children. Nadine kept her eyes on all of her children, especially the shy, quiet, and the “more challenging” ones. She had ways of bringing out the shy, quiet children and quieting or calming the more active ones. No matter what the situation, she was always encouraging and supporting yet firm. Over the weeks the children quickly leaned that Mrs Bush was a person they could trust and respect. I watched them blossom before my eyes.
When class started there was always a sequence of activities with breaks from one activity to another. The children never got bored that way. There was always the planned Sunday School lesson. But there was also Mrs. Bush's individualized and thoughtful variations of activities. For example, some children had trouble with fine motor skills like holding or cutting with scissors. Mrs. Bush figured out which muscles needed strengthening and developed games—for instance with clothes-pins that these children would would play with her before class. Or she might ask a child to do a special “help”task for her that required use of those muscles. Over the weeks she modified the activity accordingly and before the end of the year the child was able to do or had made strides in doing what earlier had been impossible or frustrating.
Nadine was one of the most modest people I have met. She never told me any of these things or for that matter directed me to do anything. It was only as I watched her and the children that I began to realize what was happening—and I asked her questions and more questions. She knew “her children” so well that she was the one who adjusted to each child's needs. Nadine was so naturally talented as a kindergarten teacher she didn't realize how exceptional she was. She could easily have been director of a preschool (which included kindergarten)--provided she could also do what she loved so much—teach and be with the children. What prevented that was her lack of formal education. However the irony was that Nadine did “naturally” what people who spend years in school aspire to achieve with their education.
God however had a special place for Nadine and that was here at King of Glory in kindergarten Sunday School because that is where she turned her talents. She did the Lord's work with generations of our kindergarten children. Nadine died in 1999 and to this day “her children” carry her special gifts with them.
Arline Hoel
