Why do you think there are traffic lights? What do you think would happen to the garden if it doesn’t rain?
After 35 years of teaching three- and four-year-olds, Estella Rash has learned to ask her young “discoverers” lots of questions.
“Whatever answer they give me is correct,” said Rash, a teacher at the University Child Development Center, located at University of Missouri – St. Louis. “They might say, ‘They’re pretty.’ And I say, ‘You’re right, they are pretty. But you know what, those lights are also to keep us safe.’”
She never says they are wrong. “Oh God, I never say that,” she said. “That stops them from wanting to think and share information.”
On September 12, Rash will receive the 2014 PNC Bank Early Childhood Education Award from the St. Louis American Foundation at its 27th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Gala, to be held at the America’s Center Ballroom. The gala will begin at 7 p.m., following a reception at 6 p.m.
“She is probably the most kind, gentle and loving teacher that kids would ever have,” said Lynn Navin, director of the center, who has worked at the center with Rash since 1991.
“She is always respectful of kids and their feelings. She instinctually knows what’s best for kids. She provides lots of opportunities to nurture what they love.”
Navin said both of her children had Rash as a teacher. And being at the center since 1981, many of her former students return with their own children and specifically request Rash as a teacher.
Rash decided to enter early childhood education after her daughter, Enrika C. Rash, turned two years old, she said. She then embarked on earning enough credits at Harris-Stowe State University to earn an associate’s degree in early childhood education.
Her personal teaching philosophy is a response to her own childrearing and schooling, she said. As a child, she and her 11 siblings were raised in a loving, spiritual environment in Shaw, Mississippi. However, it was also very strict.
“I didn’t like a lot of the limits,” she said. “I didn’t want to be that type of parent. I wanted my daughter to think and challenge me, but with respect. We were raised with respect, but you couldn’t say what you wanted to say.”
This teaching style seemed to work with her own daughter, she said, so she decided to explore it as a teacher. At the center, she plans the curriculum based on the children’s interests. Whether they are interested in being doctors, nurses or firefighters, she plans activities to fit those needs, she said. At the same time, she incorporates their developmental needs, such as numbers and reading.
She also creates different levels of learning goals so every child can hit their mark and feel they have achieved, she said.
“I think I’m really good at that,” she said. “Children do have different learning styles. You have structured and unstructured children. I’ve learned to observe them and see what their interests are and what their abilities are.”
Karen Taylor, the center’s program coordinator, has worked with Rash for 20 years. She said Rash has a genuine gift for individualizing the curriculum.
“That’s why kids have so much fun with her,” Taylor said. “The things she plans motivate the kids because she is such a good observer. She’s so passionate about what she does.”
Taylor said the children always remember Rash, and former students in their 20s are constantly coming back to visit her. She has a lasting impact equally on the parents, said Jaime Bergfeld, who had Rash as a teacher with both of her children.
“She sets the bar high for young children and helps them get there through her constant love and support,” Bergfeld said.
And that support and care extend to the parents in her classroom, she said.
“She always has a non-judgmental listening ear for parents,” Bergfeld said. “She models behavior-guidance techniques and offers concrete suggestions for parents to support them in their parenting efforts. Stella is a mentor for new teachers and UM-St. Louis early childhood students as well.”
In May, Rash plans to retire with 36 years under her belt at the center. Although she’ll be sad to leave the center, she said she still plans to volunteer.
“I love this place,” she said. “It’s a great environment to work in. Great families. Wonderful children. This is what has kept me here.”
The 2014 Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, September 12 at the America’s Center Ballroom, following a reception at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets are $85 each/$850 table, and VIP/Corporate tickets are $1,500 table. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stlamerican.com and click on Salute to Excellence, or call 314-533-8000.
