Salam and hi,
In the next 2 weeks, I’m going to the British primary school for the last time. We have been going there for the last few months, alternating with the other Group. So we visit the school 2 times a month on Tuesdays. My experience with the kids are priceless. These are some I won’t ever forget:
1. Situation: On my second visit to the Year 2 class, [determined that I should remember almost all of their names after the first meeting, which I did!
] I casually greeted a student:
Me: Hi Jack, what are you reading?
Jack: I’m reading..(I can’t remember what he’s reading). How do you know my name?
Me: *Give a desperate laugh* $%^&*%^&$
2. Situation: Usually we will help the teacher to do reading with the students. And usually we will assist those who are weak first. Last Tuesday, there was this kid named Thomas who were cute quite weak in reading (reading, not comprehension). He obviously reluctant to do his reading with me (I am after all, still a stranger). He spelled the words using phonics (instead of alphabet) which is how they teach reading in the UK. After finishing few pages with a struggle, he SUDDENLY started to just wanted to see pictures instead of reading.
Me: Tom, keep reading (I held down the page with my pen so he can’t turn the page, because he just wanted to see the pictures and refused reading).
Tom: (Forcefully pull the book from me)
Me: (I rose the book, out of his grab) Tom, that’s alright! (what I was referring to here was the fact that it was okay if he struggled to read, I don’t mind, I wasn’t judging him).
Tom: (Suddenly behave nicely and cooperate better after that).
I was ambivalent at that time. ‘Have I just coax a kid (which I’m suck at)?’ and happy and relief and satisfied.
HOWEVER, our reading session ended with us playing tug of war with the book. Because I wanted him to stop reading and him wanted to see the picture of the final page. IT WAS REALLY A FUNNY SCENE THAT THE TEACHER ASSISTANT WHO TURNED TO US AND SHOUTED ‘Tom! stop reading’ WAS ACTUALLY SMILING WITH A HINT OF LAUGHING =.=’
3. Situation: I was sitting on the carpet with the kids because I was asking Talia some questions. There was this kid named Sam who ALWAYS, since from our second visit until last Tuesday, always give me a naughty smile. ALWAYS. But he never talked to me, he just smiled like there was something so funny about me. Even if I talked to him, he will just smiled and give me rubbish answer. $%^&*
Me: (Talking to Talia)
Sam: (Look at me, his mouth formed a cheeky smile) ‘Why is she sitting with us?’
Me: Can’t I?
Talia: (turned to him and harshly said) She’s asking me some questions!
Me: (I really wanna laugh but I can’t).
4. On my second visit, I walked around the class and smile to a student and greeted him ‘You’re Oscar, right?’ and he said ‘Yea’ with a hint of a smile and admiration that I remembered his name.
5. Last Tuesday (Okay I’ve forgotten how many times have I visited the school :p) the teacher taught the students how to subtract using number line. The thing with me is that, I have fallen out of relationship with MATHEMATICS since I was in Standard 2. Sadly we never really make up. SO the teacher said the students were having problem with number line the day before and asked us to help. I SUDDENLY, AUTOMATICALLY went blank and black. GHHHAAAA. ‘I’m so gonna effing die!’ *_* But it turned out alright but not without me having to confirm few things with my partner. However, I can’t help but noticed kids sometimes wanted us to do the thinking for them [in order to seek attention or they are not confidence with themselve]. Okay I admit, I fell for the trick. I helped them a lot. Kira and Geogia burned me out with constant questions. After lesson ended, I asked few friends how to deal with these kids and their suggestion was to sternly said ‘I cannot do the thinking for you, you must think for yourself.’
Above all. FINLEY is the cutest kid ever, ever, ever, in the entire world. I’ve fallen for him since the first visit. Gonna do anything to have a handsome kid like him. Too bad looks are superficial. but still he’s cute.
Above all 2: The teachers are super nice, super positive, I can’t find fault with her. Absolutely amazing. Genuine interest in kids. You name it, she got it.
I learned from the kids, a lot.
