Sunday, October 31
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Karen's Cut
[journal]
Karen was quick this time with another cut before I could even do a post. This time it's Thea. Enjoy! |
Wednesday, October 27
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Karen's Cut
[journal]
Karen cut Ping's hair again. When my mom saw Ping she said, "You look like Beetle. Like in my time." Ping replied, "That's what my mom said too!" So go show your mom this picture of Ping and ask what they think. Will it turn out to be true that all moms will say the same thing? Go here to see Ping's cut. |
Tuesday, October 26
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Goodbye Kindergarten
[journal]
My last day came and went. The worst part is because I have two separate classes, I had to do two separate goodbyes, and I really hate goodbyes. The day before I had asked my teacher in a not so innocent voice, "Do you think the kids would mind if I didn't tell them I was leaving?" She was incredulous: "You can't do that." So I caved and that night I made personalized goodbye cards with stickers for all the kids. Today when I told my morning class I was leaving, I had a constant barrage of the classic kid's "WHY?" line of questioning. Joe: I'm leaving boys and girls. Today will be my last day. Kids: Why? Joe: I have to go to another school. Kids: Why? Joe: I need experience teaching older students. Kids: But why? Another scene:Girl: You are going to be at another school tomorrow, so I'm going to be at another school tomorrow too. Joe: Are you really? Girl: Yes. (I asked her mom later if she is going to another school soon and the mom said no). Another scene: It was the end of the class and the kids lined up to say bye to me and were told to either give me a hug or handshake. When it was Bjork's turn she didn't look at me at all and walked right by towards the exit like she didn't care I was leaving. She hadn't looked at me much all day since I made the announcment. The other teacher said, "Aren't you going to hug Mr. V?" Bjork looked at me and slowly dragged her feet towards me and stood still in front of me with her head looking away. I gave her a hug and then she sort of walked away uncaringly. She never said bye or looked at me when she left the class.
Another scene: The kids were giving me a booklet they made called Memoirs of Mr. V. Inside the booklet they had drawn pictures of me and what they liked about me. For example, "I like the way he reads stories," or "I like the way he pushes me on the swings." This booklet was a total surprise to me because I had only seen them filling out a signature card and had no idea they also worked on a book. The teacher picked two students to hand me the card and booklet. The boy gave it to me and then quickly sat down. He looked up at me and said, "I'm going to miss you Mr. V," and his eyes are welling with tears. I just had a great feeling inside. I will miss him too. As faulty as it is, he was one of my favourites (you can't help but like some kids more; the important thing is to not treat any of the kids differently). Final scene: A kid ran up to me while I was doing my work. He thrusted a gift bag into my face and said, "This is for you." It was a present his mom and him purchased for me. The second I grabbed the bag and said thank you he nearly knocked me over with a hug. I'm really going to miss the little rascally buggers. At the end when they were leaving, I was shooting off rapid fire advice. "Nicholas, keep practicing on the swings, you have to get ready for grade one." "Christopher, keep playing with jigsaw puzzles, you are so good at it." "Nicole, you can write your name now, but keep practicing." "Laura, be a good girl while I'm gone. Always listen to your parents and the teachers." I felt like I was on my deathbed giving out last minute advice because I would never see them again. Goodbye Kindergarten. Hello -- soon -- grade six. |
Thursday, October 21
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Goodbye Kids
[journal]Next week I'm done my kindergarten placement. Today I happened to see the kids secretly signing a good-bye card for me. I had to pretend not to notice. It was so funny. I was holding back a big goofy grin.
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Tuesday, October 19
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The curriculum
[journal]I remember hearing stories about people failing kindergarten or grade one and thinking to myself, how could anyone fail? You don't do anything in those grades. But now that I'm here working, I think that these students have to do a lot, possibly even too much. Everyday in class we're pushing shapes, colours, numbers, writing, reading, art, and even math. I think pushing the senior kindergarten students and the grade one students is okay, but the juniors, the kids 3 or 4 years old should not be forced to sit in a chair and learn so much.
The main focus of junior kindergarten should be social. Get them used to society and other students, manners and communication. But to lay on the work for them just makes them develop an unhealthy opinion of school. I want all of them to be able to go home to their parents and say, "School is fun."
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Friday, October 15
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Nice to hear
[journal]
Today I had a nice surprise. Before I explain what happened I need to first provide background on one of the students in the class. I'll call her Bjork, because she looks like the singer of the same name. She's the smallest, feistiest girl in the class. If the senior kindergarten students are doing something she'll say, "I want to do that," (she's in junior kindergarten and aged 3). If there are 8 swings available, she'll pick the highest one. If we tell her to stay where she is, she'll move one extra step. She gets away with some of the things she does because she is probably the most adorable girl in the class with her height half of the others and her cheeks twice as round.
Bjork does not like me, at least from what I gathered. I am always on her case about things. For example at snack time she'll try to convince other people to throw away her garbage. She'd stick out her hand to the person next to her and say, "Here, throw this away." And I'd say, "You have to throw away your own food." If someone bumps into her, she makes the most sour face in the world. Her nose scrunches up and eyes narrow, like someone taught her to do that face. And I'd say "Bjork, something strange is happening to your nose! It looks so funny." Then she would turn her head away from me with her little baby arms crossed.
Today her mother brought her in and she was wearing a completely pink outfit: cotton top, cotton pants, and pink running shoes. I said to her "Oh, Bjork, I like your outfit so much! So pretty." Her mother approached me for the first time and said, "You know Bjork always talks about you. I think she loves you. She is always saying Mr. V said this, Mr. V said that. Today I couldn't get her to put on this outfit, and she only put it on when I said, Mr. V will really like it if you wear this outfit." While her mom is told me that, I saw Bjork slyly looking at me from the corner of her eyes. When her mom turned to her and said "See? Mr. V liked what you're wearing" she pretended to look around the room like she didn't hear anything. It was so funny and cute that it made my day.
The student who I thought didn't like me, probably likes me the most.
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Wednesday, October 13
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My tattoo
[journal]
I don't think I have ever posted a picture of my tattoo. It's on my left shoulder blade and it hurt like hell. |
Tuesday, October 12
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Thank Playboy
[journal]
Our family had Thanksgiving dinner, except it was our own version of it. It wasn't dinner; it was lunch. It wasn't turkey; it was pho. It wasn't Monday; it was Sunday.
We took a trip down to our grandparents who had prepared a lot of food. I got the usual "Joe you must eat more." I did my usual nod of obedience in agreement. Then the family started eating together.
Somehow, three generations of family from as young as 23 to as old as 80, started talking about pornography. I know my family isn't your typical family, but even I found it troubling how freely my family could talk about porno. My mom brought up how she had to throw Mike's disgusting stockpile of filth away. He was so proud that she needed to fill an entire black garbage bag to hold all his porno boxes.
My parents reminisced how when Mike was in grade three, they were called down to the principal's office because Mike had been caught with a stack of playboys, I'm not talking about 1 or 2, but dozens. Apparently he had found a ton in an abandoned shed and he was also soliciting the other kids in the class (remember, it's grade three) to find and take their parents playboy magazines and give them to him. He was masterminding some sort of pornographic organization. I asked my parents if they were proud. They didn't answer me.
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Saturday, October 9
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Monkey See, Monkey Tries
[journal]
Children are master imitators. That's how they learn and that's why as a teacher you have to be very careful at what you say and how you act. I've been hanging around the children for so long that sometimes I start to imitate them. For example, how they speak. Instead of saying "Everyone please put seven fingers in the air (for the seven days in the week song)," I would say "Do like me."
On Thursday a boy was being bothered by another one. This boy, we'll call him Bean because he reminds me of the sweet but oblivious character of the same name, said "Hey, stop hitting me!" and sort of pushed the other boy away. My teacher said, "Bean, if someone is bothering you, you just move your finger like this (she wagged her finger to and fro) and say, "I don't like that." So adorable, chubby Bean sauntered over to the other boy and wagged his fingers centimeters from his face like how someone on Jerry Springer might and said in a childish and loud voice, "I like that."
There is a girl in the class that wears chapstick. I found out today because she rapped me on the shoulder and told me proudly, "I put on chopsticks on my lips all by myself."
And already there is a boy who wears his pants so low that you can see his underwear.
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Tuesday, October 5
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The Dating Game
[journal]
My parents were at it again with trying to set me up with someone. But if you're a regular reader of my site you'll know that they take this to the extreme ( HERE and HERE). My parents wanted me to go to a party thrown by a lawyer and there were going to be girls, "respectable girls," there that my parents wanted to introduce to me. I told them I would only go if my sister went, which is essentially a no. I knew there would be no way my sister would want to go. Then something funny and sad happened: Mom: Karen you want to go to a party with us? Karen: I'll go if Joe goes. Mom: Let me go ask Joe (leaves for 5 seconds, doesn't ask me, comes back) Joe said yes. Karen: What? I'm still not going. Mom: 20 dollars. Karen: No! Mom: 40 dollars. Karen: What the hell? I said no, no matter what you offer me. Mom: 60 dollars (smiles) Karen: Mom, you're crazy, leave me alone. Get out. Mom: 70 dollars. Last offer. Karen doesn't say anything. She just walks around the room and eventually caves. Bribery. My parents have lowered themselves to bribery to find someone for me. Do I look that desparate? |
Saturday, October 2
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The most important lesson I've learned
[journal]
My placement has made me a better teacher. When I came into the classroom the first day I already thought I was a decent teacher. I always made sure to try to meet the needs of all the students, but I found myself running around the room, acting more like a servant than a teacher: I tucked in chairs, I put on jackets, I directed the aimless mass. After the first two weeks I was spent. I dug into overdraft and I didn't even have the protection. Everyday I longed for that feathered pillow in my room and I met that pillow religiously every time I arrived at home. I had managed to burn out as a teacher before technically becoming a teacher.
I was taking the easy way out instead of taking that long arduous road. Each time I did something for a student, although it took only about five or so seconds, they would come back to me again. Multiply that student by 20 and you have many minutes gone, and multiply that by many activities and you could waste up to an hour. So now, when a student does not tuck in their chair I have to walk over and find them and remind them to tuck in their chair when they leave. When a student tells me that they can't put their jacket on, I tell them to put it on the floor and show them a technique how the can put it on by themselves. When students ask me what they are supposed to do next, I direct them to the chart that has their name and the activity. I'm teaching them to depend less on me and more on themselves. It takes a lot of time as I'm doing it, but the payoff is big when all 20 kids tuck in their chairs, all 20 know where to hand in their work, how to use the bathroom, how to wash their hands, etc.... I had to stop thinking of them as babies and more like adults. They are much more competent than many adults I know. I just can't take the easy way any longer. |
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