Anyone tell you that teachers are very often placed on a roller coaster ride? Here I would mean emotionally. At a split second, you could shift from being angry to a smile. From a grin to near tears. Today I was on that ride.
Haowen and Nasirah
They fought and I had to speak with them during recess to do conflict resolution. Tough but I could feel how God led me to ask them appropriate questions that got them thinking. They made up and Haowen offered Nasirah tissue while she sobbed. Rather heart warming when you see children made up. They too have their pride but they are just more forgiving and magnanimous as compared to us adults.
Xiaoli
She is one of my weakest pupil in class and for a period of time I noticed that she kept scoring 0 out of 10 for spelling and just a month back i got her to study just 3 instead of 10 words for spelling and if she gets all of them correct, she still gets her star. Apparently, that worked! She studied for those 3 words and have been getting her stars. Today I went through the spelling list again and told her that this time I would increase it to 5 words for her. Her smile from afar assures me that she was going to study hard for it. Just before the class ended, this was what she said:
I was pleasantly surprised by her enthusiasm. Just after supplementary, she came to me again and this time she said:
I know that she wasn't confident and so I told her:
Cecilia
Just a couple of minutes later I had a talk with Cecilia and that got me down a little. Just before supplementary, this girl was found crying outside class while the rest of her friends were seated in class getting ready for lesson. I went out to class and asked her to come in but from her unusual sobbing i somehow gather that she fears to walk into class. I said, "come with me. I will protect you!" She followed on.
After class, she mentioned that the class accused her of doing something and no one believes her when she tried to explain. With a mere, " i believe you", her sobbing stopped.
Then I noticed cane marks on her hands. I probed and she shared. Its the first time she spoke so much. But after hearing, I realised I can no longer say, "Come I protect you." anymore. I can't. Its beyond me. I realised my limitations and I wished I could do more.I prayed.
Haowen and Nasirah
They fought and I had to speak with them during recess to do conflict resolution. Tough but I could feel how God led me to ask them appropriate questions that got them thinking. They made up and Haowen offered Nasirah tissue while she sobbed. Rather heart warming when you see children made up. They too have their pride but they are just more forgiving and magnanimous as compared to us adults.
Xiaoli
She is one of my weakest pupil in class and for a period of time I noticed that she kept scoring 0 out of 10 for spelling and just a month back i got her to study just 3 instead of 10 words for spelling and if she gets all of them correct, she still gets her star. Apparently, that worked! She studied for those 3 words and have been getting her stars. Today I went through the spelling list again and told her that this time I would increase it to 5 words for her. Her smile from afar assures me that she was going to study hard for it. Just before the class ended, this was what she said:
"Miss Sim, I try the 10 words can?"
I was pleasantly surprised by her enthusiasm. Just after supplementary, she came to me again and this time she said:
"If I get 9 marks can?"
I know that she wasn't confident and so I told her:
"I am sure you can get 10. But even with 9, it is a great achievement!"
This got me quite happy knowing that my children want to learn, to excel and has the desire to know more.
Cecilia
Just a couple of minutes later I had a talk with Cecilia and that got me down a little. Just before supplementary, this girl was found crying outside class while the rest of her friends were seated in class getting ready for lesson. I went out to class and asked her to come in but from her unusual sobbing i somehow gather that she fears to walk into class. I said, "come with me. I will protect you!" She followed on.
After class, she mentioned that the class accused her of doing something and no one believes her when she tried to explain. With a mere, " i believe you", her sobbing stopped.
Then I noticed cane marks on her hands. I probed and she shared. Its the first time she spoke so much. But after hearing, I realised I can no longer say, "Come I protect you." anymore. I can't. Its beyond me. I realised my limitations and I wished I could do more.I prayed.
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