At family celebrations of Jewish holidays, Laurie Zeitlin can always be found in the basement playing with her little cousins.
She takes her work home with her. Zeitlin, 57, is a toddler teacher at the JCC of Greater Baltimore’s Stoler Early Learning Center. It’s a job she has held for 22 years, teaching all age groups in Owings Mills.
“I look forward every day to seeing the smiles on children’s faces when I’m teaching them something new,” said Zeitlin of Reisterstown. “The children are like little sponges and I feel as though it’s my job to keep them safe and engaged in learning through play.”
The work is rewarding, she said. “Parents are so appreciative and, to me, the best part is the feedback we get.”
The earliest children Zeitlin has taught are now in their 20s. Their parents will still recognize her in a store and say what an impact she had on their children. She’ll learn what the adult children have accomplished and where they are now.
“I feel like I had a little bit of impact on them as learners, members of society and even future leaders.”
There are five infant-toddler classes at the JCC and Zeitlin has nine toddlers in her group. The job, she said, is to foster their independence and prepare them for the 2- year-old program.
Her interest in early childhood education began as a teenager. Growing up, she loved babysitting.
Zeitlin’s family belonged to the Conservative Beth Israel Congregation in Randallstown. Her father served as a president and a cantor during the parallel High Holiday services. Her uncle was the executive director.
Zeitlin grew up in Jewish youth groups, Kadima and United Synagogue Youth. A six-week USY trip to Israel strengthened her Jewish identity and connection to Israel, she said.
College took her in a different direction. Zeitlin pursued a business degree in marketing at the University of Maryland, College Park. She relocated to New York with her husband, Mark. Zeitlin sold advertising in New York City. She realized, “it was not my passion. Just a job.”
She returned to school at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, and earned her master’s degree in education.
Zeitlin taught 3-year-olds in the Mid-Island JCC in Plainview, N.Y. She relocated to Baltimore with her husband and their two children, Rebecca and Noah. Zeitlin is vice president of customs and brokerage for a large shipping company.
Zeitlin contacted the Owings Mills JCC and got a part-time job teaching at the Stoler Early Learning Center.
At the time, children attended three mornings a week. Today, the program has expanded to five days weekly, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
“I feel we are like their mothers, fathers, caregivers and teachers all wrapped up into one beautiful package. We are spending more time with them in a given week than they are with their parents.”
The role has evolved since Zeitlin began teaching. The job meant mostly caregiving and making sure the children were safe, fed and clean. “Now we’re teaching the two-year-olds life skills and learning through play. They learn a sense of community.”
“We’re working on their fine motor skills. We’re teaching how to go up steps and spatial relations by doing puzzles. We are teaching them through the process of play, but what we are really teaching them to be is little learners.”
Today’s parents, she said, want to know that their kids are learning. “Our positions as teachers have really changed a lot. My goal every day is to make sure their children leave with a smile on their face, that they’re happy and enjoy being in my class.”
Classes are full for the infant/toddler program. Many Jewish schools do not enroll kids as young as three months old.
For Zeitlin, teaching toddlers is a welcome challenge. “I wanted to try something new,” she said. She earned a 45-hour certificate in infant and toddler curriculum. “I’ve taught twos, threes and fours. I have to say that toddlers are my favorite age group because they are so impressionable and love learning.”
For Yom Kippur, she teaches children how to show empathy and be a nice friend. “We do nice things for other people. When a friend is sad, you can go over and pat them on the back, give them a hug or a toy.”
Jewish values inform Zeitlin’s daily life. “I feel love is my biggest value. Showing someone love, showing them that they’re special. It really translates into them becoming people who feel good about themselves.”
Zeitlin doesn’t consider this a job. “It just feels like my passion. I’ve been doing it for so long because I really feel like I make a difference.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance writer.
