This Child of Mine

Children are fun. They are smart, sweet, loving and full of energy. They always come up with surprises and never fails to give me ideas to write or anecdotes to share. Some will leave a lasting impression. Some will be remembered intermittently while some will be forgotten.

I wont be able to name the children I taught since the very beginning but I have all the class photos since I started. They are grown ups now. I believe they won't be listening to my "sit down, please" and "classroom voice". I don't even know if I'll recognize them if I bump into them in the streets.

I remembered working in a local school where I get to teach 200+ students in one school year. I might sound a bad teacher but I cannot memorize the names of the students. I knew them by the way they talk, the way they participate, their exuberance and their loving hugs.

In a private international school I worked before, I noticed to be missing two students in class. They happened to be in the bathroom doing something. Both were pulling toilet paper out of the roll and filling up the toilet bowl. Then they will mix the water and toilet paper with their hands. Quite geniuses to create a play activity that both of them enjoyed but the idea of putting their hands inside the bowl was not exactly a good choice. I remembered the look on their faces, not of utter horror upon being discovered, but those innocent little smiles that will melt even the hardest heart.

Both boys were only three years old at that time and since they left school, I happened to become a good friend of their families. One of the boys gave me a painting he made after the school year. To the untrained eyes, it was just scribbles and blots of colours. To me it was a wonderful gift from an equally wonderful child. He is now in high school. I still see him but I have no idea if he still remembers the 'we're mixing the soup' incident many years ago. Learning that he illustrates and paints as a hobby, I asked for one of his works to be photographed so I can make a post of before and now.

I commend his kindness, his good heart, and his joyful smile. He will always be a big part of my teaching life.
Artwork by Alex D.