I So Love Children...

I am frequently overtaken with emotion at my job, on the verge of tears. I contemplate the beauty of these young souls who are still in the beginning phases of their relationship with this big world of ours.

One thing that strikes me frequently is how "real" their experience is. It is rare for us adults to cry outright, or to scream out of fright, or feel completely overtaken by embarassment the way children do. However, the experience is as real for them as it would be for us if we had it right now. Those are the childhood memories we tend to keep, because they're so intense. But it's easy for adults to dismiss the instance as something children maybe "just go through." I frequently see adults, especially teachers, ignore children crying, or even yelling at them. My God! They are so sensitive and vulnerable! Every time this happens, it takes a toll on their whole life! I pine for their suffering, as I recall my own experience as a child!

There is a new class I teach on Thursday afternoon. They are 3-4 years old. They are a trouble class, specifically bunched together according to a perceived lesser potential - at least that's how it's been explained to me. There are difficult to teach. Their discipline and focus is very poor, and their ability to learn in hampered. But this is where the simple acts of love show the clearest effect. In the course a short 25 minutes, I saw how my love and patience empowered them to control and enjoy their own actions. I am so grateful to God that I have a job where I can so clearly see the effect of my own service. And according to friends' accounts, what I see is only a small portion of what I am actually bestowing.

Month after month, my mother's widsdom of a multi-decade teacher infiltrates my own methods and approaches. I always thought it was remarkable how every single day she could have so very much to say about her students and her classes. I never thought I might one day be so grateful for her endless stories and anecdotes! Today we taught a huge class of some 40 students (2 classes combined for their English learning, actually), which is exceptionally challenging. The majority didn't behave too well, which Jacqueline and I both feel should be corrected. How? Remembering my mom's wisdom, I thought of a punishment. I usually focus on rewards, but punishments are also useful. It's simple: we said that because of how poorly they were behaving, the class went very slowly, and therefore we had no time to play a game, which we know they all love.

Did I mention I love my job?


On another note, it's been raining for four days. I love rain, but this time there's another meaning, and I have to finish a mission before the rain leaves, which gives me possibly another two days to complete a task which will most likely change my life. One day I might share i