Attitude Adjustments
...written on 06.30.02, @ 11:52 p.m.
Sun June 30, 2002
"Kiiiiiiiiiiiraiiii, kiraii!" (I hate you, I hate you), screamed little 3 year old Mone, one of the five munchkins in my Friday English class. Hmm, I've moved up in her esteem, I thought, because last week she called me "Baka" (Stupid).
You'd think after three months we'd warm up to each other or something, and as a matter of fact, I have seen progress these last few weeks. The week before, I got her to laugh at me and the week before that she shared with me some of the food she was "cooking" in the "kitchen" . This week she allowed me close enough to encourage her as she colored and didn't flinch when I patted her arm to tell her how pretty her picture was.
I think it's getting better because of all the research and reading I'm doing on early childhood education. Self study is a long hard road, but I have to do something until I can get some formal training, hopefully this summer. I can't teach 3 year olds like I teach the junior high school students.
I am reminded of a little boy at one of the orphanages where I worked in the Dominican Republic. He had fair skin and soft hair, prized possessions in a country overrun with a Guacanagarix complex (anything foreign is better). He was a new arrival and for some reason, maybe because everyone else was coddling him, I didn't ever get near him and I think he was very sensitive to my vibe and avoided me as well.
I don't remember why I decided to turn things around, but I tried approaching him. He was as wary as a wild kitten and hissed and spat at me sometimes, but we finally forged a happy truce and then a warm friendship.
A lot of this teaching stuff is attitude. Heck make that life stuff, neh? Tweak your attitude and watch your insurmountable problems come down a few inches, bit by bit.
Yep, at this rate, Mone and I are going to be best friends . . . in about ten years.