Mr. President
This year I am teaching first grade at a school just 3 minutes down the road from where I live. I have an amazing class of 16 kids from all over--Honduras, Paraguay, Bangladesh, Philippines, El Salvador, Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan, India... and two are native english speakers from the United States. It is hard work to teach them how to read when most are balancing two languages and some come from illiterate families. But they are a unique bunch who are gifted in so many ways and I love to see what they will come up with next.
Two recent amazing stories:
One of my little girls, Isabel, is a brilliant author. The stories and illustrations she writes are beautiful and creative. She has even started to write bi-lingual stories in Spanish and English. Some of the other Spanish speaking kids noticed her books and asked her how she learned to write Spanish (I didn't teach her). "Oh I just listen to the sounds in the words in Spanish, and stretch the sounds just like I do to write in English. That's how I know how to write in both languages." It's so neat to see her awareness of her two worlds (Paraguay and the U.S.) finding a place in her stories.
A couple weeks ago we were discussing presidents Washington and Lincoln. Later that morning as I worked at a table with a small group of students, I noticed this same Isabel going around with a clip board and piece of paper, saying "Who do you vote for?" After I was finished, I went over to her and asked her what she was doing. "We just elected a class president!", "Hasib is our new class president" she informed me. Wow. All on their own. "And 2 vice presidents, 'cause there was a tie." The new class president (appropriately dressed in a suit that day) confidently looked at me and said, "OK, so I'm the class president. Now what?"
I turned the question back on them and asked, "OK guys, so now what?" An interesting discussion followed as we talked about the role of a president. In their words, here is what they came up with:
1. It's the president's job to save the world.
(When I asked them how he will do this, they suggested that he teach someone how to do something--like if a person can't swim, teach him/her to swim. They also suggested that he should do things to keep the Earth clean.)
2. The president writes and writes and writes.
("Writes what?" I asked. "He writes laws," they answered.)
3. The president has to make sure that people don't get hurt.
4. The president helps people to follow the rules.
Wow. What Incredible initiative!
Tongue in cheek, the next day I called on Hasib as "Mr. President," and almost laughed when I said it... but he looked directly at me and answered calmly and seriously, "Yes??". Nobody blinked -- it wasn't a game for them. They were completely serious about this.
They have already discussed among themselves the process for an orderly transfer of power...geez. These kids are amazing. I am impressed with what 6 and 7 year olds can come up with when given a safe environment and space to create.
Two recent amazing stories:
One of my little girls, Isabel, is a brilliant author. The stories and illustrations she writes are beautiful and creative. She has even started to write bi-lingual stories in Spanish and English. Some of the other Spanish speaking kids noticed her books and asked her how she learned to write Spanish (I didn't teach her). "Oh I just listen to the sounds in the words in Spanish, and stretch the sounds just like I do to write in English. That's how I know how to write in both languages." It's so neat to see her awareness of her two worlds (Paraguay and the U.S.) finding a place in her stories.
A couple weeks ago we were discussing presidents Washington and Lincoln. Later that morning as I worked at a table with a small group of students, I noticed this same Isabel going around with a clip board and piece of paper, saying "Who do you vote for?" After I was finished, I went over to her and asked her what she was doing. "We just elected a class president!", "Hasib is our new class president" she informed me. Wow. All on their own. "And 2 vice presidents, 'cause there was a tie." The new class president (appropriately dressed in a suit that day) confidently looked at me and said, "OK, so I'm the class president. Now what?"
I turned the question back on them and asked, "OK guys, so now what?" An interesting discussion followed as we talked about the role of a president. In their words, here is what they came up with:
1. It's the president's job to save the world.
(When I asked them how he will do this, they suggested that he teach someone how to do something--like if a person can't swim, teach him/her to swim. They also suggested that he should do things to keep the Earth clean.)
2. The president writes and writes and writes.
("Writes what?" I asked. "He writes laws," they answered.)
3. The president has to make sure that people don't get hurt.
4. The president helps people to follow the rules.
Wow. What Incredible initiative!
Tongue in cheek, the next day I called on Hasib as "Mr. President," and almost laughed when I said it... but he looked directly at me and answered calmly and seriously, "Yes??". Nobody blinked -- it wasn't a game for them. They were completely serious about this.
They have already discussed among themselves the process for an orderly transfer of power...geez. These kids are amazing. I am impressed with what 6 and 7 year olds can come up with when given a safe environment and space to create.
posted by J4CK13 at 8:25 PM
2 comments
