Child's Play

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I wrote this last March 18, 2010

I was privileged to teach the brightest third grade students in Southville International School and Colleges from 2007 to 2010. I never thought I would get the chance to teach our students – not even the excellent ones. The idea of me being inside the classroom was a nightmare that I hesitated to get the offer when handed to me. Well, it was not offered, to tell the truth; it was assigned (if you’re in Southville, you’ll understand what it means). “It’ll be fun; it will be a good experience for you,” our Principal BRY then said.

And fun it was.

Here are some of the most memorable anecdotes, situations and moments that I have been through as a Vision and Task Circle facilitator. They are proofs that they didn’t only learn from me (well, I hope); I learned a lot from them as well. (NOTE: Names of students were changed.)

1.    My one boy student introduced himself like this: “Hi, I’m Paolo. I’m Scottish!”

2.    During one of the activities, I asked my students to list down the things they will do if they get to do to   the United States. One girl student, Susie, wrote, ‘I’d like to meet boys and get to know them.’ Kind of surprise to get that answer from a nine-year-old, I asked her why. ”I want them to like me,” she said.

3.    One girl student, Carla, came in late for the class and started looking for a seat. Ryan, one of my boys, immediately stood up and said, “Oh, I’ll get a chair for you.”

4.    The Quote of the Week that I shared was posted on the board. It says “I believe I am someone who can do my best.” As I started to briefly discuss the quote, everyone except Sam, believed in it. “I don’t think of it that way. I think I will fail,” he said with a sad face. Stephen, his classmate, said without battling an eyelash, “That’s stupid. You should never give up at all times.” When I asked further, everybody said that they could always ask help from others.

With that, I didn’t need further explanation.

5.    On my very first day of teaching, I gave a getting-to-know-you activity which everybody enjoyed. The group conversation led to playing PSPs (Play Station). Almost everybody in the class admitted that they are using ‘cheats’ to win games. With the word ‘cheat’ implied, I asked them, “Why are you using cheats? Isn’t that bad?” They said in chorus, “So that we could go to the next level!”

I do hope they won’t have to resort to real-life cheating in the future.

6.    On the brief discussion on Compromise, the example that I gave was giving way to their younger sibling in watching a TV show. Gian, with hands rose, said, “Oh yeah, there’s another TV in the room anyway.” To add, Stephanie said, “We also have a TV in the kitchen.”

Moral lesson I learned: compromise is not the way I thought it was.

7.    For them, sacrifice means losing your life for somebody else. Because of this, they don’t find the value appealing.

8.    In one activity that taught about respect for each other, they were able to identify and remember the times when they were hurt or ignored by their classmates or friends. “I know how it feels to be hurt or be ignored by a classmate or a friend, especially if you did not do anything bad against them,” I said. “But it is not good either to hurt them back.”

The class fell silent.

I guess the Golden Rule did its job.

9.    In one activity about Multiple Intelligences, I instructed them to choose any activity posted in the board (it caters to all intelligences). One student, Brian, got up from his seat and showed me his work. “This is a nice drawing,” I said to him. “Would you like to color this?” Brian’s eyes lit; he went back to his seat to put color in his work. By then I realized that he likes working alone.

That was the first time I saw him smile.

10.    On my last day as a facilitator, I told the class that I will be doing a lot of tasks in the next few weeks. It meant that I won’t get to meet them anymore (I had to do a white lie; they will not understand what resigning means, anyway) A big resounding “WHY?” was in their faces as well as in their mouths. But I told them that I will be catching up on them through the new facilitator.

I felt my chest became a bit heavier as my students said goodbye and left the classroom one by one.

Yep, fun it was.

Ohana

March 7, 2010

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“Ohana means family is never left behind nor forgotten.” – from the movie Lilo and Stitch

“Aren’t you going to the Family Day?” Sir Ken, Sir Sam, and Sir Tats asked me after I found out from them that the Southville International School and Colleges Sports Fest and Family Day will be next week.

If you are in Southville, Sports Fest and Family Day is one of the much-awaited events. You belong to Stars, Hearts or Laurels Team (I was once in the Hearts Team). Then you get to play with colleagues from Basic Education to College – basketball, volleyball, bowling, and yes, even obstacle relay. It’s for fun, friendship, and play.

For others, it’s the time to shed pounds and get to know co-employees and their families. For HRMD, it’s a three-month battle with going home more late, more papers on the table (you have to monitor all the games, thus leaving all seemingly urgent documents), and dealing with big (sometimes bigger) and small concerns of the players.

“I can’t attend that. I don’t have any family there anymore,” I said.

It’s not that I do not want to come. It’s just that after resigning, I really do not belong to any team or family – Stars, Hearts, Laurels, not even in Southville as a whole. Not anymore.

On the other hand, it hit me: I’m totally unprepared for missing the event for the first time since 2005. Geesh.

But just days after, the HRMD, through Ms. Jen, asked me if I could help them out. “We’ll just share your attendance points with one another,” she jokingly said through SMS. Nurse Jess also said that the Medical Department will also “adopt” me if just in case I wanted to come.

It somehow felt good. I am still welcome. I am not left behind nor forgotten. They still consider me a part of their family; I still belong to their ohana. And so I resigned myself to coming.

Sunday came. I started to walk fast upon entering the familiar gate of SISC. I was running late for my first task of the day: to prep the teams as they parade towards Monarchs Gym. This has been my assignment before, so it’s a breeze, right?

Wrong. I was crazy nervous. What will others say and think of me if they see me? I held my breath as I entered the Luxembourg Gym, still running.

When I reached the stage and got the microphone, I suddenly felt time warped. The words just came out of my mouth.

“Good morning, Southville! I’m sorry I’m late for my first task of the day. I am here because Southville was and will always be my family. Let’s check attendance, shall we?”

What I saw were surprised reactions. Few others couldn’t believe I was there in the stage. But there were smile on their faces.

The whole morning, I got nothing but the usual sincere smile from each person I got to meet and chat. Their smiles went down one notch, though, upon learning that I was “only here for the day”, but still, they were happy to see me and to know that I’m fine.

I also got the most number of hugs in my life that day. The hugs were so tight; I think it will be enough to sustain me in the next few months to come, especially now that my last Professional Education subject will be wrapping up in a few weeks (it is the only reason why I still come back at least every week since I left).

I never got to sign up to the attendance, nor got a drink stub. I came with no team to join in; I came as someone from the neutral ground. I did the same tasks as before; I got tired. I witnessed the HRMD Team won raffle gifts (they never won before; they blamed it on my supposed “cursed mark” theory) and my former team emerged as overall champions for the first time in many years (okay, I’m starting to believe on my supposedly “cursed mark”).

I may have been “adopted” by two departments (thanks, guys), but I felt belonged just like old times. I was never left behind nor forgotten.

Southville was and will always be ohana.