another remarkable day

I just returned from the preschools and today was another remarkable day…

we were greeted by an old diminutive woman when we arrived…she had to have been in her eighties…I could only see a few teeth peeking through her contagious smile…she welcomed me by giving me a powerful hand slap “it stung a little” and then held my hand for a few more seconds as she welcomed me in Chichewa and, for the first time without hesitation I said “zikomo kwambiri”  and then we walked into the preschool…she wasn't a teacher but seemed to enjoy the company of the students and you cant blame her for that!

 I bought some school supplies before I left the states to use while I’m here and to give to the preschools. This week I have been giving the schools I visit a box of crayons; I haven’t visited a school yet that has paper but I figured they could use them to learn new colors as well as drawling when they have paper. I bought computer paper while I was in “Blantyre” on Monday for the “drawling shapes” lesson I’m teaching this week.  I have been passing out a piece of paper and a crayon to each student. My goal was to teach the students shapes and  for them to learn the correct way to hold a crayon. First, I stood in front of the class and showed them how to pinch their crayon and the correct places to put their fingers. Then I took a piece of paper and drew a shape (the supervisor was translating what I was saying) Then I went around and made sure each child was holding their crayon the correct way. For the majority of the class I had to take my hand and put it over theirs and drawl the shape with them.  A few of the students just had a bewildered look on their face when I approached them. I’m sure it was the first time a white person had been that close to them and to have touched them...When I approached the few who seemed hesitant and even a little scared; I used a method one of the other DI’s had taught me. I flip my hand over so my palm is facing-up and then I flip their hand over so they can see that they are similar in color…I have found this method gives them a little comfort to see that we share a similarity…I also try and do this with the children who start hysterically crying when they see me…it sometimes works but not ever time…BUT, today it was working…while I was making my way around the class room, I was bent over helping a student and then felt a little tug on the back of my shirt…when I turned around it was a little girl holding-up her circle and looked at me and said “circle”…I about fell over when I heard her English and saw the perfect circle on her paper…I couldn’t help but to bring her into my arms and give her a huge hug and tell her great job…little did I know this had started a chain-reaction… they all started coming-up to me showing me their picture and trying to say circle in English…I ended-up hugging almost all of them and praising them for their efforts…it’s astonishing to me how children at such a young age are able to pick things-up so quickly…it’s almost like they are a little sponge absorbing everything they come in-contact with...

then we all walked outside the preschool and i went and found a stick and showed the teachers and students that they could practice what i just taught them without crayons and paper...i then started drawling the shapes into the sand and showing the teachers that they can use their nature resources to continue helping the students to learn how to "draw shapes."

After my lesson was over the students then had play time...i was in disbelief when they started playing the game "head-shoulders-knees-and-toes" because that was the first time i had seen a preschool play this game, so of course i had to join them after i snapped a few photos...

One of the many things that I will miss when I leave this exquisite country is the free time I have to reflect on my day. I’m not consumed by the fast pace in the states like "getting off of work and hoping on the interstate to drive home, trying to return emails and phone calls, finding time to walk my dog, clean the house, laundry, go to the grocery store, etc…” I’m sure you all get the point and understand exactly what I mean…this reflection time allows me to really enjoy and cherish each special moment of everyday I have here with these amazing students… I know I’m not here long enough to follow-up and see if they are remembering everything I teach them…one thing is for sure though…I will remember everything they have taught me for the rest of my life…