Things at school are going ok. I am still getting used to the kids, and they are for sure still getting used to me. Since I came in mid-year there are so many things that the other teacher did that they were used to. I do things a little differently (not always on purpose) and it often leaves them confused, which results in them talking or otherwise misbehaving. It is too bad, but I feel as if it is only a matter of time before we meet in the middle and have an understanding where we can learn and have lots of fun while doing it. I am having a bit of a problem with discipline, but the other day I talked to my mom about it and she gave me some advice which I think will go really far. She said: ‘real discipline is love and training’. How do moms always give such perfect advice?
Most of my kids are super smart. I am not sure, but I think that the majority of them read and write at a higher level than the average Kindergardener in the US. The curriculum is such that I am not teaching them new things so much as just teaching them what they already know, but in English. Even though they are just 6 or 7 years old, class is conducted with them all sitting around a table and paying attention to me for 5 forty minute classes a day.
Today we got to do something different! It was the annual Fall picnic where the whole school gets to go to the park by the river for the entire day to play games and eat lunch. All of my kids brought extra food to share with me. They were so generous and kind. We had a lot of fun, it was so good for the kids to be able to just be kids. There is so much pressure put on them here, even at such a young age. I was happy that for once we could learn outside of the constricting boundaries of the classroom. They certainly are priceless pearls.
I think I’m falling in love.
i love them too!
Hi Bahia! I found you! Here are the things I loved when I visited Seoul: the old palace, amethyst mines, this beautiful shrine on a mountaintop where you could only take pictures from one side- the other faced North Korea, kimchee fried rice with a fried egg on top, yeah- the gourmet pizza hut. More later!
I really like what your mom said about discipline. I didn’t learn how to deal with the discipline problems I had teaching little kids in Japan until I had my own kids. So here are two nuggets to expand on what she said:
Love- In Ruhi Book 7 there is a great explanation of this in a classroom-type context. It says that if you make a loving connection to the student/participant, discipline can be just a word or gesture to get things back on track. Instead of you being above them as the authority, you are together looking up at the rule or ideal behavior as the common goal.
Training- Here are a couple ideas that may or may not be applicable for you: 1. A formal system for keeping track of specific good behaviors of each child with rewards at certain intervals. I can go into more detail- e-mail me if you need it. 2. Let them help come up with the rules of the class. As active participants, they may take a better attitude towards them.
My heart goes out to you Bahia! I remember those first hazy days in a different country and how strange everything was that later seemed very natural and familiar.
Oh my! They are so cute! I love that little lunch they left for you.
Oh man, Korean kids are just the cutest kids in the world. THW WORLD.
I am cute.