“GOOD People of Wilton” is GMW’s take on the popular profile series, “Humans of New York.” It’s a little less derivative than calling it “Humans of Wilton,” and renaming it “GOOD People of Wilton” felt just right.
Now in her 15th year as director of the Children’s Day School of Wilton, Pam Ely has certainly gotten to know many of Wilton’s littlest preschoolers. Even before that, the 34 year Wilton resident was intent on following her calling, working with young learners at Miller-Driscoll Elementary where she worked in special education, (although it might surprise some people to know that Ely danced professionally with a modern dance company in New York very early in her career).
But it was the persistence of one of the teachers at the Children’s Day School that convinced her to take on the director role in 2001. “At the time I was working at Miller-Driscoll and quite happy, so I said probably not. And it was really their persistence that persuaded me to make the move. And I am very happy I did,” she says.
Indeed, working with preschoolers is where she says she’s the happiest.
“I have taught many age levels and grades. I have gone from high school American and English lit, to a one room schoolhouse in Sagaponack, NY, where I taught 35 children from 1st through 4th graders in one room. However, I have always been drawn to the younger learners. Something about the joy and awe they bring to their world view that I find very endearing. I have a mission to give young people a good start in life, and that means having an enriched and wonderful experience in preschool, helping the young become confident learners and approaching life with a sense of adventure.”
One thing she has to use to approach life is a sense of humor. “There are many funny stories when you teach young children. No two days are ever the same. If you have had a calm morning, you can be guaranteed something will unravel in the afternoon, or vice versa,” she says.
She’s a big believer that parents and teachers need to work in partnership for the benefit of a child. “We all want the success of the children, and when we have fruitful dialogue, the child has a more successful experience.”
Having worked with children for so many years, she tries to develop that open communication and rapport with parents and says that one of her main jobs is to help parents understand their children in a more helpful way.
“Having young children is tiring and one tends to just keep moving forward no matter what, but some children are not able to follow that pace and may need more time, some intervention or a different path. Most children get to where we want them to be, but not always on our time schedule, and it is important to recognize that they are their own person, with their own internal needs,” she advises.
Above all, what she feels is her mission in taking care of young children fits perfectly with how she sees Wilton, and why she loves living here.
“I moved here 34 years ago because I felt the town cared about the children who lived here. I don’t think that has changed, even as the town has grown. As an educator that was important to me.”