2015 School Year has Started!

We are just going into week  three of school.  Time escapes me sometimes!  I cannot believe it is  February already!

The number of kids in my class has changed a few times.  First it was 7 then 8 and now 7 again.  There are times I would like the number to go down more but I do not want to give up on any of these kids.

I started with 6 new students some 4 years old others 5.  And then one of my students from last year Ayanda.  But then because Ayanda have been through it all already and knew everything I decided to send him to grade one.  The reason I did not send him before was because of his age, they wanted me to keep him for another year.  But after he was causing other kids to be distracted in my class and not listen I decided to send him to grade one where he has been doing very well (says his teacher) and it has also been good for my students too.  And another student came who lives on the farm.

So introducing Hope Valley Farm School’s grade R class of 2015….

Back Row: Junior, Sandisiwe, Lihle and Lincoln
Front Row: Bonga, Olwethu and Ayabonga

Now don’t let this picture deceive you they are cute yes, but some are very difficult to deal with.  I have to say I was pretty lucky last year with how well my kids listened to me.  I really did not know how blessed I was.  Yes I was frustrated some days but nothing like I have been this year.  I think the most difficult part about this year so far is that Ms. Gabela my co-teacher has not been around and no one knows when or if she is coming back.  So it has been me (only English speaker with very little Zulu) with 7 students (only Zulu speakers with very little English).  And we are working through this but it is difficult.  The biggest thing that I struggle with is that because there is no one who is in authority who speaks Zulu the kids do not behave for me often.  There are days when I go home from school just glad that the day is over, but in the mornings I am wanting to stay in bed because I hate being the teacher that always yells and gets mad.  For those who know me, know that I am not an angry person (yes I do get mad and frustrated but I can usually keep that to myself until I am around someone who I know I can vent to and they will love me no matter what), and so to get the kids to listen I have to be strict and it is so tiring for me.

I am fine with the teaching them English and working through the language barrier but I have never felt this anxious about going to work before.  Yeah there were days I did not want to go but once I am there I am fine.  But I hate having to raise my voice.  I am trying my best to try different things to discipline these kids. 

A situation where I get the most frustrated is when I am trying to talk to the kids and get them to learn and remember things I have a few boys who just talk over me, and I will tell them over and over again in English and Zulu to be quiet or to stop.  And they still just keep going.  They will look at me and stop for a little while and then a few second later will start again.

Do you have any suggestions to help work through so they will listen to me?  I will usually say their name and ask them to stop, if they do not listen I will smack the table to get their attention, if they still do not listen I get up in their face and them them to be quiet. And that’s when they stop for a little while.  Times when I am having a really hard time I usually ask a Zulu teacher to come in and tell them to listen to me. Or they do not get to participate in the ‘fun’ activities.  I have had some teachers suggest just having a stick in my class to threaten the class, but I will never do that.  First off I don't think I could ever do that to a kid.  There are better ways to discipline.  I am fine with taking things away from kids when they don't listen and them crying but to hurt a kid physically I would feel horrible.  Anyway I would be open for suggestions if you have anyways to help me. I want to learn and help my fellow teachers to know there is a better way than beating kids (I am not saying any of these teachers do that but it does happen here in South Africa).
I had a sister of one of my more troubled students come to me last Friday and say “Miss, I love you.”  I really did not know what to say because she was a new student and was not sure why she was saying this.  Then she went on to say, “I love you because you are so nice and do not hit children.  Even though my brother is bad, you don't hit you say do not do this and you are not allowed to do that.”  If anything hope I am making some kind of difference in that one boy’s life. 

Yes my days are often stressful and we are working through it.  Things are slowly getting better and I can sometimes see the change, but I know it will be slow.

Let me tell you a little about each of their personalities.  Junior at first was really quiet and he still can be sometimes.  He is 4 years old and will probably spend 2 years in grade R but I am not sure yet, because he had already had some English when he came.  He has a bit of a stutter when he speaks.  I was told at the beginning of the year that he might need some extra care because he went through a traumatic situation where he saw his father pass away.  I wonder sometimes if that could be a little bit why he stutters.  He also loves to wrestle with the other boys.  And this is fine but not when they get a little out of hand.

Sandisiwe, is a cutie.  She is also 4 years old.  She will not really talk to other teachers.  She is pretty quite most of the time.  Though as time has gone on I have seen her real attitude.  She does not like to pay attention.  And when we are doing repetitive exercises she is the one who looks at me like you are joking right.  Ha.  Her and Lihle (the other girl in the class) hug wrestle all the time and it is so funny to watch.  They will just hug each other until they are laying on the ground laughing.  My favourite part is at the end of the day when she is so tired she will look at me and will come and sit in my lap and just fall asleep.  Her English is alright too.

Lihle is 5.  She started at the beginning of last year with Mr. Russell but ended up leaving because she was too young.  She is probably my strongest student.  She is cousins with Ayanda who in now in grade one.  She is fun to have in the class and pretty easy to deal with.  She does have her moments when she does not like to listen but for the most part she catches on to things quickly and will listen when I ask her to do a task.

Lincoln would often come and hangout with me and my students last year.  His dad is also a teacher at the school.  He speaks Shauna  (not sure of the spelling) his parents are from Zimbabwe and he understands a bit of English.  He is still pretty young so will spend two years in grade R.  He is really quiet but is slowly catching on.  He is also learning some Zulu as he goes as well.

Bonga is probably my weakest student when it comes to English.  He is the brother of Unathi who was my student last year.  Bonga says he is 5 but I am pretty sure he is 4. I will point to things to try and get him to say what it is like.  I will point to a crayon and say “What colour is this?”  And he will just repeat after me. Ha but we are working on it.  He is also one of those kids who is exhausted by the end of the day.

Olwethu…where to start.  He is 5, he is bossy and has a lot of attitude. (it was his sister that mentioned to me why she loved me.)  His English is not good either, but it is slowly getting better.  Even though his English is important I also want to work on his attitude.  The way he has talked not only to me but to other teachers is not okay.  The other day I asked Skhumbuzo to talk to him and let him know why he was sitting out and Olwethu just looked at him in the eye and told him “I am going to slap you.”  We found out that he has this attitude with his mom at home too.  So it is carrying over, but I will not stand for it.  The difficult part though is that because he is speaking Zulu I don’t always know when he is not being respectful.  And he is getting better, when it comes to other kids.  Now he just needs to stop talking all the time! :S

Ayabonga is probably my most difficult student.  He was really quiet when he first came, so thought it would be easier.  But he quickly started to show his true colours.  He often fights with some of the kids, but not play fights, he actually gets mad and tries to hurt the kids.  He is 6 and so is the biggest of the kids.  He lives here on the farm and I do not know much about his family.  But I am working through things.  His English is on the stronger side so that is helpful.

 Thanks for reading, until next time...try to find the small joys in the things that stress you out the most.