Gratitude

"If i would be able to turn back time, i would like to be the youngest child. Then i'll have everything... she has everything...." 

That familiar, dusty, bitter emotion came back.

But I refused to let it stay, so i dug further into my memory box... finding anything worthy to slide into the folder known as "Why am i lucky to  be the eldest child." 

And unexpectedly that memory came tagging with Gladness.

The memory of my dad tossing the Quran across on the floor, to an ustaz... as if the gesture was saying, "Read it!" 

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All this while i had been thinking of the weaknesses i inherited from my mum...those that made it harder for me to climb the career ladder, but today, I found a trait from her that i love best : a (playful) sense of humor -- it's what has been helping me to bond and have fun with the young souls. TYG.   

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Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. -- Mildred Barthel. 

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Motivation: Fun first, study second. =.=

Kuhen is a boy who used to just walk out of the class without permission.
To Kuhen, the naughty kid, i said,
"I'll give you your ang pau (red packet) at the end of this month"
(credit goes to Fz for the game plan)

"No, auntie~~ Today."
"hmm.. If you behave well, you'll get it this Thursday"
"Today, auntie.."


At the end of the class :
"Auntie, where's my ang pau?"
"This Thursday."
"Noo, today, auntie.. you promised."
"Huh, Thursday. When did i say it's today?"
"You said it just now.."
"No, I didn't. Let's go, it's time to go home"
"No no no auntie, where's my ang pau...~!"

I hesitated.
"How about, i'll give you two this Thursday?"
"No~~ You promised. One ang pau today~"

He turned with his back facing me and a gloomy cloud surrounded us. :P
I hesitated again. "Let's go now, you need to go home"
"My ang pau, auntie..."
There was a short period of silence.
"Let's go into the class, i'll give...."

Quickly he turned back and said with a sweet voice,
"It's okay, Auntie," he smiled, "this Thursday, auntie."


=.=*

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Kuhen said, "Auntie, the other boys disturb me, I want to beat them, Auntie"
"MinJie! JiangMyn!"
"They keep saying about me, Auntie"
"Just ignore them, be patient. They have nothing better to do."
"How long i have to be patient? I want to beat them"
"Don't! Just tell me, i'll take away their pokemon balls, ok?"
"Okay."

This went on for several days. Clearly the other boys dislike Kuhen for some reason.

"Kuhen, come here," i called him while updating the R2D2 form in the class.
"What, auntie?"
"Did you watch Spiderman, batman,.. superman movies?"
"Yes,"
"What do the superheroes do when the bad guys behave badly?"
Soon that sentence came out, i regretted. Sheez! Superheroes...setting bad examples for kids! I thought. In the past, kids tended to give up doing their written work and i would remind them that superheroes never give up. But this, time, superheroes were not an examplary for Kuhen.

"What do the superheroes do when the bad guys behave badly?"
"They fight back," he said.
"Ehm, ya, but only if the bad guys kill people, then you can beat them up.." i half mumbled to him and then continued, "but if they didn't, you'll just call the cops, and put them in jail, ok?"

"ok." ..that sweet smile, again.


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My morning class has 10 playful boys and 4 girls.
To keep their focus in class, i drew a pokemon on the whiteboard (credit goes to one of the mentor for the brilliant idea).
"Let's see who will catch this Pikachu!" I said after writing their initials underneath the drawing.


It worked. Several boys' hands started to move around catching imaginary pokemons. lol.

"I haven't tell you how to catch the pikachu. If you write neatly, copied the sentences properly and write quietly, you'll get poke-balls for catching this big pikachu. Auntie will walk around to check on your work."

"Like this, only boys can play," MinJie said.
"Why?"
"Because it's a boy game! Girls cannot play..."
"Who said? Auntie watched pokemon cartoon, too. Auntie liked pokemon."

He was surprised.
"Really? You really watched Pokemon?"
"Yes, I did."
"ah, auntie you got watch... superman?"
lol. "yes"

The S word

Today we played "in my bag..." game.

In this game, a kid has to repeat countables/uncountables said by the kids who sat in front of him/her.

Example: if i say "In my bag, i have pencils," and pass the bag to the next person, that next person will have to repeat what i've just said and add in another countable/ uncountable thing. So the sentence would be "In my bag, i have pencils and erasers." Since fun is Motots' way to guide the kids in their learning, I told them that they cannot use common words such as "tables" or "rulers."

So, i started the game with "In my bag, I have chickens."
And then it was the Clown's turn, he said "In my bag, I have chickens and shits"
KHau repeated the sentence and added one more countable thing.
When it was YenQi's turn, she hesitated to say "shits."


"You don't have to say it, ..just say 'sheep'" .

She did.

Then it was ReiShen's turn.

He couldn't remember the countables and hence could not repeat them in order.


"Ah, you're out (of the game)!"  I said.

With both hands pushing the table for dramatic effect, and a realistic angry expression, he shouted,




"SHEEP !!!!"

Usually,  it's this type of children that brings headaches and joy. :)

Look, ma. No marker!

Who needs a pair of gloves....besides a dishwasher?

A mentor.



Why?


To strangle kids without leaving finger prints.




Just kidding.
A pair of gloves keep my hands clean and they can be used as an eraser for the whiteboard. 
AMAZING!

Imagination.

"Class, in a minute the president of the united state will enter this class. He'll have important message for kids from all the over the world. You are his news reporters/journalist, news writers."

The kids paid attention.

"When the Presidents talks, just listen. Erm, .. this president has.. *points finger towards head* short term memory, he'll repeat whatever he has just said. When he does that, that's when you write down what he's saying.

After he repeated what he said, that's when you check again. We'll send your writings to the Star newspaper, Nan Yang Siang Pau and Malay newspapers."

"Dictation againnn, Auntieee?"

"Dictation from the president! Take out one pencil, one eraser and one ruler. I'll go and call the president now"

The mentor went out from class,and after 30 seconds, she entered the class. Kids started to giggle.

"Ehem! I am president Obama. I have an important message for you. Write it down!"
More giggles.


"Wednesday is the third day of the week. Today is Tuesday. *looks towards the whiteboard, note: Monday, 14/12/09*....



...I have three classes in a week. Where are you sitting? *looks towards a kid* She is sitting between the wall and the window.... "

*more laughter*
--Yeah, important message from Mr. Obama indeed.--

Then the president began to forget things...

"Ahh...What did i just say? ahhah! * Kids looked amused.. Mentor then repeated the sentences and kids started to take dictation*"



I heart my job.

Family member

Make a sentence using the word "daughter."

6 years old boy said, "When i go to Cosmotots, my daughter go to Singapore."
Surprised by his sentence, i asked him, "What's a daughter?"
He answered, "a girl."


"W, it's your turn. Make a sentence with 'eat' "

"I like to eat ZeHao because he always do me."
"Follow Auntie. 'I'd like to eat ZeHao because he is always bullying me."
At this, he laughed, amused by the word "bully"

lol.



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"Hi Auntie. You taught SH."
"You're SH's sister?"
"Yup."
"How's SH doing?"
"I tell you ah, he is very very very stupid."


Ah, no wonder he had low self-esteem in class.

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Sept - DQ class - Mentor: "What is a knight?" S.H: "Ehhh, a knight is like this ahh.. *rapid hand movements* whacchaa zup cha! cha! cha!"

- S.H: "Auntie Aimi, why today you no wear your sunglasses one?"


October - DQ class. A squire takes good care of the knight. Kids read: "A squirrel takes good care..."


17/11 -- Mentor: "Sit properly or i'll cut your points!" 6 y/0 W: "You baby!" *shows a fist to the mentor*


24/11 -- 7 y/o W fell from the stool more times than usual -- in front of the pretty girls. Attention seeker, you!


25/11 -- Teenager Q almost fall asleep during the review but was soon energized by the group work. He did some random Tae Kwan Do moves, and then he turned round and round like a small tornado. Mentor: "Q, what were you doing?" Q was speechless.


-- Mentor: "Details! Details!" Teen J replied: "ok. The story's s*ck because Ben said it s*cks because Bryn said it s*cks because -the character- had to do all the hardwork." Mentor: "wow."


-- Teen: "Auntie, what is that red thing on your nose?" Mentor:"Isn't it obvious it's a pimple?"