When I came back after Christmas break I couldn't believe how much taller they all had gotten. I bet they'd been growing all along, but not seeing them for 10 days really made me notice. Their puffy cheeks thinned out. They seemed to come back smarter! The biggest change I've seen this year is in Aaron who screamed and cried daily for the first two months to the point where he wasn't even in the classroom much. I was scared of him and he was scared of me. Eventually he just gave in and realized that no matter how much he screamed he'd still have to be at school. I will never forget the first day I gave him scissors. Letting 9 4-year olds hold scissors for the first time is daunting. And when one of them has as much energy as Aaron, it can be scary! We practiced cutting lines, circles, squiggles. They love to cut. Any time we do an activity they want to cut it out and glue it.
Now, Aaron is such a love bug it's amazing to see. I realized he wears his heart on his sleeve. If he's angry - he will let you know it. If he's happy - he will be all over you with so much joy. Every morning he tries to sneak by the classroom without me seeing him. "Aaron are you hiding from me?" "YES!" I'll ask him the simplest thing, "Aaron do you want to help hand out pencils?" He will joyfully scream, " Yes!" and bound towards me full force. When another student wins the monthly Best English Speaker and Best Manners he breaks down in tears because he is so sad. It's hard to explain to a 5 year old that everyone gets a turn winning the award even though we all speak English. He is an abundance of emotion. I love him so.
Aaron on our first field trip as a class.
Who can forget Amy who moved away half way through the year? I was so sad. This sounds so horrible but she loved me first plus she was the cutest so that's why I loved her. She was the youngest of all of them but she trusted me first. She participated, sang songs, did all the things to get everyone going. I could rely on her to be the ring leader and soon everyone wanted to catch up to her. In one parent-teacher conference "SueMom" referred to Amy as Sue's rival and asked how she could surpass her. I gave my diplomatic answer but in my heart I screamed, "No one will surpass Amy!" Haha! That is how competitive it is here. These kids are 5 and their parents are talking about rivalries.
She is cooler than you and she knows it.
I learned so much about myself this year. Part of me wants to go home to Canada and teach pre-school. Then I think about how stressful it is. It is stressful here because of the lack of communication, pressure for excellence, and language/cultural barriers. I wouldn't face all of the same things at home, but there would be new challenges and I don't know if I want them. I love doing circle time and singing songs with them. If I could somehow do that all day and get paid well, I would. But I'm doubtful. The glee that Peanut Butter Jelly puts in their hearts makes me squeal!
A pic of the class at the year end performance. They did The Sound of Music. Yes, these are the costumes the Korean staff chose to represent the Von Trapp family. Don't ask.
Jay's birthday. Aaron on the left pulling up his shorts!
I hope I never forget these kids. Luckily, Caitlin is teaching them next year so I can beg her for pictures and watch them grow up, at least for another year!
I love how much they love to read.
Jay's disheveled uniform
Derek's big eyes! He's gonna be a heart breaker.
As I write this I have 19 days left in Korea and 14 teaching days. Ah!!! Again, I want to thank all of you back in Canada and here in Korea who have helped me along the way. It was not easy, but it was worth it!
Lots of love,
Alli
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