"Kindergarten Paradise"
(sung to the tune of ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ by Coolio)
I open my eyes and dread today’s standoff
I've been wheeling and dealing with these kids so long,
That even my wife thinks that my mind is gone
They gang up on us, you know that's not unheard of
We better watch how we talk and where we walk
Or we might end up on the playground lined in colored chalk
They got markers, colored pencils and Legos to defend ‘em
I'm the kinda teacher the little homies wanna be messin’
Yeah, they look so damn cute the way momma’s be dressin’ them
We’re fighting for our lives, in kindergarten paradise
Hoping they didn’t bring knives to this kindergarten paradise
They may grow up to be husbands and wives
But right now they rule this paradise
‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ they be acin’
‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’, it makes them grin
They do the ‘Hokey Pokey’ and be ABC-in’
But if they get bored, they be makin’ a fool of you
We’re kindergarten teachers and new to this danger
And these kiddies are down so don't arouse their anger, fool
Gettin' stabbed with safety scissors ain't but a heartbeat away,
Tryin’ to survive, do or die, what can we say
Three weeks down and three more to go
The way things are going I don't know
When they hide under desks and behind the trees
Hoping they didn’t bring knives to this kindergarten paradise
They may grow up to be husbands and wives
But right now they rule this paradise
Minute after minute, each one feeling like an hour
Everybody's running, and us teachers we be chasin’
These kids are hard to catch, it gets my heart to racin’
But catching 11 – five year olds is like herding cats
I guess we can't get 'em, I guess they won't listen
I guess they win, that's why I know my luck be missin’, fool
Hoping they didn’t bring knives to this kindergarten paradise
They may grow up to be husbands and wives
But right now they rule this paradise
That the one in charge is not you or me
Tell me why are we so blind to see
Kindergarteners are in charge of you and me
[Fade out]
Ah, kindergarten! Our first morning on the island was also our first day of teaching! For this group of eager five year olds, we are actually helping the real teacher, who is a high school senior. The class is made up of eleven adorable, innocent little sponges, just waiting to soak up knowledge. This class is the first in Hacienda Merida's bilingual school. Next year, when these kids are 1st graders, there will be a new class of kindergarteners - the school growing one class level each year.
Our little 5 year olds meet in the common area, where they are served breakfast. As they strolled in this first day, some made eye contact and tentatively said 'Hola' or 'Buenas dias'. Others didn't notice us at all because they were there for one reason - breakfast!! Immediately, we could identify personalities. The shy ones, the bossy ones, the nice ones, the troublemakers, etc. I wonder if that's what it's like the first day Congress is in session.
Three weeks in, the kids now walk in, smile and greet us with smiles, high fives and the occasional hug. I am called Profesor, Bex! is Profesora. If we have iPads out, the kids crowd around and watch intently as I read the news while eating breakfast. They ask incessantly if they can play games on it or touch the screen. Once their breakfast comes out, they scramble to the tables and eat, playing the usual kid games of trading food - papaya for pancakes, juice for scrambled eggs, etc.
After breakfast, the kids wash their hands, grab their backpacks and we corral them to school, a short walk across the grounds. Once we get to the classroom, well... here's where a structure would be awesome. Kids need it. The teacher sometimes starts with singing songs, sometimes lets them color, sometimes launches into the days lesson. And some days there don't seem to be any planned activities, other than coloring for two hours or letting them run around. We know she is doing the best she can and has her own studies - and a 6 month old little boy - to tend to.
At first, we weren't sure what our role would be or how the teacher wanted us to help. After a while, we were getting frustrated so just sort of started doing activities on our own. We review the days of the week and months of the year, which was great practice for me. We worked on phonics and vocabulary. Kids love writing on the whiteboards, so we'd bring them up one at a time to have them write out the alphabet or the vowels or a series of numbers. Our efforts seemed to help - at least it helped us by providing us with a little sanity.
We rooted through the random boxes of books and supplies that are in the common area, and discovered all kinds of flash cards, in varying degrees of complete sets. We sorted them all and came up with useful card units for class, which has been a great asset. We've adapted our other activities as the kids get smarter, too. We taught them a couple of new songs as well as some new games. If we can keep their attention, keep them engaged they love to learn. But lose their interest for one second and they are off and running.
All in all, the kids are wonderful. Like anyone at any age, they each have their moments. But we've grown attached to each of them.
Here is a list of the students:
Dulce - extremely smart; loves to learn; will be a leader or a professor some day
Cindy - smart; mischievous; loves to be challenged; just a teensy bit manipulative
Angela - shy; moody; really bright; when engaged is so much fun; her laugh is contagious; really loves to sing (loudly)
Dayanna - smarter than she lets on; likes to play that she doesn't know when she really does
Gretel - only comes to class maybe 75% of the time, if that; seems to be keeping up, smart girl
Itzel - the director's daughter; very smart but kind of rules the roost, in that no one tells her 'no'; if she isn't interested in what we're doing, she simply leaves class
Kenneth - cute kid, one of my favorites; struggles with learning but when he gets it, he is so proud; I take a little extra time with him when I can
Dilon - bit of a button pusher but listens; very creative thinker; artistic
Bryan - bigger than the others; uses his size to get what he wants; bright boy
Jesner - very bright; follows Bryan's lead; great smile; good attitude
Adrian - class clown; super smart; learning seems to come easy, so he gets in trouble
Like I said, each of them is great, although challenging at times. We've found that if we 'ignore' the trouble makers (whichever subset that may be on a given day) and just go about our activities, we can draw them in. If they see the other kids having fun, they will eventually wander over and want to join in. Like all of us, they have a desire to be included.
Next week (week of 25 Nov) is their last week of school. However, we will be spending an hour a day with them teaching in English only. This is exciting! It will likely be a small group - some families take off for the holidays once school is out. We were also very excited to learn that we will be here for their graduation ceremony! It is happening the day before we leave Ometepe. We plan to have a small gift for them - a toy, some stickers, a lollipop. It's been a rewarding experience, mostly because we've both learned a lot!
Our little 5 year olds meet in the common area, where they are served breakfast. As they strolled in this first day, some made eye contact and tentatively said 'Hola' or 'Buenas dias'. Others didn't notice us at all because they were there for one reason - breakfast!! Immediately, we could identify personalities. The shy ones, the bossy ones, the nice ones, the troublemakers, etc. I wonder if that's what it's like the first day Congress is in session.
Three weeks in, the kids now walk in, smile and greet us with smiles, high fives and the occasional hug. I am called Profesor, Bex! is Profesora. If we have iPads out, the kids crowd around and watch intently as I read the news while eating breakfast. They ask incessantly if they can play games on it or touch the screen. Once their breakfast comes out, they scramble to the tables and eat, playing the usual kid games of trading food - papaya for pancakes, juice for scrambled eggs, etc.
 |
| Yup, he's just a big kid |
At first, we weren't sure what our role would be or how the teacher wanted us to help. After a while, we were getting frustrated so just sort of started doing activities on our own. We review the days of the week and months of the year, which was great practice for me. We worked on phonics and vocabulary. Kids love writing on the whiteboards, so we'd bring them up one at a time to have them write out the alphabet or the vowels or a series of numbers. Our efforts seemed to help - at least it helped us by providing us with a little sanity.
 |
| Cindy teaching Profesor Dave his ABC's |
 |
| Kenneth, studying hard... or drawing a picture of a truck |
Here is a list of the students:
Dulce - extremely smart; loves to learn; will be a leader or a professor some day
Cindy - smart; mischievous; loves to be challenged; just a teensy bit manipulative
Angela - shy; moody; really bright; when engaged is so much fun; her laugh is contagious; really loves to sing (loudly)
Dayanna - smarter than she lets on; likes to play that she doesn't know when she really does
Gretel - only comes to class maybe 75% of the time, if that; seems to be keeping up, smart girl
Itzel - the director's daughter; very smart but kind of rules the roost, in that no one tells her 'no'; if she isn't interested in what we're doing, she simply leaves class
Kenneth - cute kid, one of my favorites; struggles with learning but when he gets it, he is so proud; I take a little extra time with him when I can
Dilon - bit of a button pusher but listens; very creative thinker; artistic
Bryan - bigger than the others; uses his size to get what he wants; bright boy
Jesner - very bright; follows Bryan's lead; great smile; good attitude
Adrian - class clown; super smart; learning seems to come easy, so he gets in trouble
Like I said, each of them is great, although challenging at times. We've found that if we 'ignore' the trouble makers (whichever subset that may be on a given day) and just go about our activities, we can draw them in. If they see the other kids having fun, they will eventually wander over and want to join in. Like all of us, they have a desire to be included.
 |
| Profesora Rebecca: Coloring Police |
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