Teaching Stories (Part 5)

As I write, we have just about started the second quarter at school. Work continues to be a mix of fun, challenge, exasperation, and triumph, but when it all boils down to it, I continue enjoying the work I do. We have many things constantly changing and coming up, and here are a bit of teaching (and life) reflections on this school year, thus far.

With the new program we’ve put in place, I mostly teach Language Arts to Kinder, First, Second, and Third. Kinder in particular, I really enjoy. We’ve been working on phonics, and I use the Jolly Phonics approach where they sing a song associated with each letter. The kids love singing the songs, and it’s really cute when we’re together outside of class time and they’ll see one of the letters we’ve learned and randomly burst into song.

Class with First grade is challenging for me. This year's class has 26 students, which is only 2 students more than my class last year, but this year's class is much more difficult to handle. I think it's a mix of more challenging and playful personalities in the class along with their attitude towards English class (last year's teacher struggled with them a lot, and the classes weren't the most structured). There are many days when classes are crazy and overwhelming, but there have been a few days where we've gotten some difficult activities done quite successfully.

Second continues to be a good class for me, and I do love getting to teach them again, as they were my First graders last year. Because of schedule changes for the lower levels this year and new English subjects, I only get to see them once a week and for just an hour, but I enjoy that time all the same.

Third grade has been a pleasant surprise for me this year. They are at an age where they have a good mix of being sweet and playful, but at the same time they are more developed and capable in learning academically. I've gotten to do some fun and challenging lessons with them, and I very much look forward to class with them each week.

Our Sixth grade class is one of our more difficult classes in the school, and while I don’t teach them fully, I assist the main English teachers in the last hour of each day. It’s a very tiring way to end the day, and there is an insane dip of ups and downs within the week, but when we have a good class, it's a good class. The little moments where I get to really converse with the students, help them, or get to know them a little bit better are rewarding.

Just this quarter, we started a buddy program with the Sixth graders to help reinforce and instill some values in them, among other reasons. So during the last period of the day, 2-3 kids at a time go downstairs and pair up with a student from Kinder. It’s just the start of the program, but it was so interesting to see some students so shy. One of the most difficult kids in Kinder who is always restless, playful, and distracting with his students and teachers was so shy when he was with his Sixth grade buddy. The Sixth grader we had paired with him is also usually very bubbly and energetic in class, but with her Kinder buddy so quiet and shy, she seemed at a lost at what to do. It was a very interesting observation, and I can’t wait to see what kind of development and growth the students will have personally, as well as with each other.

Skit day

Throughout the quarter and school year, we tend to have some activities that disrupt class time (but are part of the Spanish program). The other day the younger grades put on short plays. All the students donned their costumes and acted out stories narrated by the teacher or a fellow student. I snapped a few pictures, and sent the one (above) of Beauty and the Beast to my sister. She had directed the same play back home in the Philippines, and she was surprised at how elaborate and decked out the students were, all for one morning of play presentations, and to an audience of peers and not even parents. Despite the little money that they have, a good chunk of the students here always dress so elaborately when the occasion calls for it (whether it be a play, an activity at school, a parade). It made me think about the economic situation of the students, and what they spend their money on. I know I grew up in a much different lifestyle as these kids, and I cannot fully relate. Some of the other volunteers and I have had some interesting discussions on how money is viewed and spent in the community, and I see a lot of similarities between financial approaches here, and in some areas of the Philippines. Furthermore, having my sister point out their costumes made me realize how adjusted I am to life here. There are some things I'm very used to and which have become "normal" to me, and make me think twice about when someone asks me about it.

Another instance as I was talking to a friend about Fridays at the park. On Fridays we continue to go to the park every morning, and it remains a highlight of the kids’ week. Recently it was decided that we would have no afternoon classes, and the students would just have a half-day at the park, and go home once we got back to the community. The friend I was talking to was saying that wouldn’t parents decide to just not send their kids to school on Friday since it’s “just a park day in the morning?” I pointed out that first of all, the kids love the park, and they would never not want to go. In the area we live in, there is not much open space available. We have one dirt field nearby, but it’s an area that’s frequented by gang members, so there are a number of kids who don’t play there. Instead they’re relegated to running and playing in the streets. The park comes out as a haven for them, with so much free space to move about. Aside from the space, there are also actual playgrounds that the kids can play in (with jungle gyms, seesaws, swings, monkey bars, etc.), another thing they don’t have in the community. After an hour of organized sport, we usually head to the playground are and have a snack there. Then kids spend the last hour having free play before we get on the bus back home.

Playground at the park

At the park, we also participate in a government program where we get to do P.E. for free (the schools just have to sign up for it). This is a huge opportunity for the students because we don’t have the space and facilities to have P.E. classes at school, and for some of the students it’s the only chance they have to participate in a class of that kind. Similarly, for many of the students, even just going to the park is a big things for them, as it may be the only chance they have to even get out of the community, whether it be for accessibility reasons or financial ones, or maybe just the fact that they may not have anybody to take them there. Having been here for so long, it was so natural to me not to think twice about it, but after having said that, my friend realized how the park is truly like paradise for the kids.

Happy kids at the park

On a positive note, last year we had a donation to complete the school roof. It was visioned as a recess and lunch space for the kids. It went through a great deal of construction with walls and wire put up, but because of miscalculation of funds, construction stopped, and the actual roof is not complete. We were very excited about it because it would have given the kids a space to run and play, since now they only have their classrooms to run around, and it is technically not allowed. Moreover, being bottled up in their classrooms (they are supposed to be inside for 8 hours straight each day, 5 days a week), energies run high, and makes for difficult classroom management. But after some coaxing, we were finally able to get permission for the kids to at least have recess on the roof. So for half and hour in the morning and half an hour after lunch, they get to go up and run and play (with some temporary restrictions, but it's better than nothing). It’s really beautiful to see the kids letting out their energy, playing and mingling with friends from other grade levels, and in the end, seeing kids getting to be kids.