Rewarding

I received a note from Agnes, one of the little angels in Class 2A. This is what it said:

“From Agnes to Mad
am kate” on the front.

Inside:
         Madam
It is about ^ Kate
Madam kate I love you.
do you also love me,
Yes or No.
Waht waht What you
have done for us in
class, You are wondelforee
girl, and a prinsses
beacaus of the drawing
that is why. And that
okain kant you start
your mouth small,
Thankyou madam kate

There was also a drawing of a Christmas tree inside. I don’t know exactly what everything in the note meant, but I was touched. I gave her a big hug and whispered that, yes, of course I loved her.

I was talking to her teacher, Ellen, the next morning about their class. “They’ll never forget you,” she said. Suddenly, my job felt more important. What kind of an impact can I have on these kids’ lives?

Yesterday, I was delighted when a group of Form 2 (eight grade) girls approached me, asking me to tell them a story. I ended up sitting on a chair, surrounded by about a dozen Form 2 girl and boys, answering their questions about my life. They were particularly interested in what I liked to do when I was a teenager. I love culture-sharing, and I’m so pleased that I can share my culture with them. It struck me that, for some of these kids, I might me their only link to cultures outside of their own. I told them stories about when I was in El Salvador and France, hoping somehow to spark an interest for cultures of the world. They were quite an attentive audience. I’m quite fond of a few in particular who often come up to me to talk to me and ask me questions about America. They’re around my sister Kelly’s age (13), and they’re all quite adorable.

Oh, yesterday, the children approached me again and again. After the Form Two students (eight grade), a group of lower primary came up to me and started talking to me. Some held my hands as we talked, or came up and spontaneously hugged me, and I felt very loved.

When I walked in on four class six students in an empty classroom, they begged me to sing them a Christmas song. The first song that came to my head was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and please would I teach it to them, so I did. I wrote the words on the chalk board and we practiced it dozens of times. Two of the girls stayed behind to practice some more, and when I came in half an hour later, they were still practicing. I told them I’d bring my iPod on Tuesday and let them listen to the song with the music and everything. They both gave me a huge hug and thanked me.

Moments like this make me love being a teacher! :)