Tell Me Your Story

Yesterday a boy came to me and told me he was writing a story. I told him to show it to me and after thinking for a split second, he said it was not done. This boy is more open with his friends and quite shy with me. So I really treasure this moment.

There is also another boy who is addicted to sharks. Everything has to be about sharks. He is someone I have classroom management issues with. He would often inject sharks into any random topic or discussion, to the annoyance of his peers. He shared with me that he has only one friend, because the rest don't like it when he mentions sharks. But I believe there is a deeper meaning behind his fascination. Usually kids will not be so fixated on one thing.

I read a book to the class, and I mentioned that I chose the book for him. It has a picture of a shark inside, though that was not the focus of the story. Throughout the day, his behaviour improved.

Honestly speaking, I love the first boy more than the second. I confess this sin. But, I am still learning to love every child equally. It is obvious that when you empower children, they feel more confident and you notice their behaviour becoming better.

Every child is different, we teachers should cater for their needs. Right now, I am preparing the children for their K2 graduation. The process is very child-directed, from the theme to the song choice to the costumes, though as a teacher I have to plan the dance and formation. But it is more majority-based than individual-based. Even during normal lessons, I am behind the syllables. I try to ensure the children complete the worksheets, and I would go to each group to teach them if they need help. So the children will usually do the worksheets or practise their dance.

In the context of the classroom, it is usually teacher-directed. It takes more effort on the teacher's part to make it cater to individuals. We are not their parents, so it is easy to classify each child as "1 of the 25," or "3 of the 15."

But each child is an individual, with their own unique stories to tell. If we invest more time in allowing each child to share their stories, we might see miracles.