This is my tenth week teaching the 5-year old class at Bagamoyo Anglican Daycare. Something I’ve noticed is that each kid in my class is unique – they are little people with their own personalities and learning styles. I’ve learned that many have home lives that are extremely difficult and almost too sad to mention.
I have twins – Paulo and Pascali – who my teacher always referred to as the “bad boys.” This became evident as I saw them pick fights, yell, cry, and fail to pay attention in class. However, as time went on I noticed they were also usually late to school, their uniforms dirty and probably not washed in weeks, lacking shoes and backpacks carrying their notebooks in a red and white striped plastic bag. Both are malnourished – the skin pulls at their eye sockets and joints. Their knees are covered with boils, their arms dotted with scattered scars. They never smiled… I found them to be truly sad people, made even sadder by the fact that they are only 5 years old.
During the summer weeks at first they didn’t come to school. But the last three weeks they have and I was able to give them some special attention. I spent 20 minutes with Pascali practicing writing capital letter “D” over and over again until it didn’t look like an “O.” I revised Paulo’s work over and over again to get him to write in a straight line, a seemingly impossible task even though he has a lined paper notebook! Each day I said to them “tutaonana kesho” [see you tomorrow] hoping to encourage them to continue coming to summer school classes.
This week normal classes resumed and I noticed a difference. The twins now sit in the front row of the class and pay attention, repeating after me and looking at the board. They get so excited when they do well enough on work to get a sticker – they will revise their work repeatedly to get that sticker! They cause less trouble in class (although still some, Paulo constantly talks chalk dust and wipes it on Wahida, one of the girls in the class). Today Pascali smiled and it warmed my heart.
Every day I tell them “Nakupenda” – “I love you.” Every day I encourage their work. Every day I remind my teacher not to hit them even when they are bad. He seemed confused at first but I asked him to watch them. He finally noticed the difference, a change in their attitudes and behavior. He looked to me and said “simple kindness?”
Simple kindness indeed.
I have twins – Paulo and Pascali – who my teacher always referred to as the “bad boys.” This became evident as I saw them pick fights, yell, cry, and fail to pay attention in class. However, as time went on I noticed they were also usually late to school, their uniforms dirty and probably not washed in weeks, lacking shoes and backpacks carrying their notebooks in a red and white striped plastic bag. Both are malnourished – the skin pulls at their eye sockets and joints. Their knees are covered with boils, their arms dotted with scattered scars. They never smiled… I found them to be truly sad people, made even sadder by the fact that they are only 5 years old.
During the summer weeks at first they didn’t come to school. But the last three weeks they have and I was able to give them some special attention. I spent 20 minutes with Pascali practicing writing capital letter “D” over and over again until it didn’t look like an “O.” I revised Paulo’s work over and over again to get him to write in a straight line, a seemingly impossible task even though he has a lined paper notebook! Each day I said to them “tutaonana kesho” [see you tomorrow] hoping to encourage them to continue coming to summer school classes.
This week normal classes resumed and I noticed a difference. The twins now sit in the front row of the class and pay attention, repeating after me and looking at the board. They get so excited when they do well enough on work to get a sticker – they will revise their work repeatedly to get that sticker! They cause less trouble in class (although still some, Paulo constantly talks chalk dust and wipes it on Wahida, one of the girls in the class). Today Pascali smiled and it warmed my heart.
Every day I tell them “Nakupenda” – “I love you.” Every day I encourage their work. Every day I remind my teacher not to hit them even when they are bad. He seemed confused at first but I asked him to watch them. He finally noticed the difference, a change in their attitudes and behavior. He looked to me and said “simple kindness?”
Simple kindness indeed.
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