I love little kids in the most uncreepy way imaginable. I love being told I love you every day. I love the feeling of lighting a candle inside each of their little pulpy brains. I also love the unhealthy little rice cakes and sugary yogurt drinks that they hold up to me inbetween classes. One afternoon class in particular features some of my dearest loves. Rather than being a teacher I feel like more of a big brother. I'm lucky in that they've all taken a liking to me and constantly run up to during class just to give me a hug. The lessons get accomplished by the grace of God and all the while they seem to just absorb the information. It's perfect and I knock on wood to keep it the same.
What I'm still hoping to fall in love with are the parents of these as well as my trouble students. The ones that I'm curious as to how they handle their violent children at home. Until one week from now it's all left to speculation but it's nice to know that soon I'll have the answers about the kids that don't seem to understand that spitting on others is not a good thing in most societies.
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Also, The Wiggles are amazing.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Poly School
Teaching preschoolers allows me to learn something new everyday.
Take Friday for example.
I had an accidental chance to teach about sharing when, after a game of memory, the students begged and begged to keep the pieces of black and white paper. One student, Alex, managed to collect the most. Another student, Justin, began to well-up tears in his eyes saying "he has too many", "Give me one!" So I tried to console Justin, telling him that it's just paper, but nothing would appease him. He began to cry and wail. Another student by the name of Julie, the most darling in my class, started saying "share, share!" Other students picked up her chant and that's where I followed suit. I swear I started feeling shudders. "That's right, that's right!" I began, "you need to share! Sharing makes you a nice person!"
So the first child to actually act on this was a little boy named Isaac. He reached into his backpack, pulled out one of his pieces of paper and gave it to Justin who at this point was still crying. Lucy followed his example emplored by shouts of "good job", and "yay Lucy!" Then, while everyone was getting excited about sharing, Alex began to sulk...
After a bit he turned around, reached into his backpack and returned to the table with a wad of little paper dogs, trees, and swings. From there he handed them to Justin. Justin in turn, gleeful at the recent turn of events, begins to take out his own pieces of paper and count them zealously on the table. I'm amazed at how quickly a boy who, at one moment, was a little selfish brat can then turn into an amazing example of generosity, and then become a crying heap of flesh and tears on the table.
Now at this I was hoping Justin would see how much we were applauding Alex for being SO generous and nice. But instead when asked to share some of his newbegotten papers with the rest of the class, he simply shook his head, smiled, and yelled "no!"
The pitiful thing here is that the rest of us aren't so different. Remember to smile. Remember to share. Remember to be grateful.
Take Friday for example.
I had an accidental chance to teach about sharing when, after a game of memory, the students begged and begged to keep the pieces of black and white paper. One student, Alex, managed to collect the most. Another student, Justin, began to well-up tears in his eyes saying "he has too many", "Give me one!" So I tried to console Justin, telling him that it's just paper, but nothing would appease him. He began to cry and wail. Another student by the name of Julie, the most darling in my class, started saying "share, share!" Other students picked up her chant and that's where I followed suit. I swear I started feeling shudders. "That's right, that's right!" I began, "you need to share! Sharing makes you a nice person!"
So the first child to actually act on this was a little boy named Isaac. He reached into his backpack, pulled out one of his pieces of paper and gave it to Justin who at this point was still crying. Lucy followed his example emplored by shouts of "good job", and "yay Lucy!" Then, while everyone was getting excited about sharing, Alex began to sulk...
After a bit he turned around, reached into his backpack and returned to the table with a wad of little paper dogs, trees, and swings. From there he handed them to Justin. Justin in turn, gleeful at the recent turn of events, begins to take out his own pieces of paper and count them zealously on the table. I'm amazed at how quickly a boy who, at one moment, was a little selfish brat can then turn into an amazing example of generosity, and then become a crying heap of flesh and tears on the table.
Now at this I was hoping Justin would see how much we were applauding Alex for being SO generous and nice. But instead when asked to share some of his newbegotten papers with the rest of the class, he simply shook his head, smiled, and yelled "no!"
The pitiful thing here is that the rest of us aren't so different. Remember to smile. Remember to share. Remember to be grateful.
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