Working with grade 2/3

Yesterday , I had a chance to work with a grade 2/3 classroom. Going to a new classroom and working with new students is not always an easy task. However, if one is determined to learn about the students to be able to teach them, it is rewarding. Teaching is a rewarding and inspirational Job. It is a job that offers an amazing learning experience. I remember one French philosopher descried teaching saying, " teaching is learning twice" I agree with him for in teaching as much as you teach you find yourself learning. That means you have to learn to be able to teach, but also you will learn for yourself while you are teaching what you are teaching.

I was assigned to work with one particular student in the second half of the morning. The first activity I was assigned to work with the student was a maths activity. I was given a worksheet to work with the student I was assigned to work with. The topic was fractions. We needed to answer all the questions by understanding the given . The worksheet has two part, one part covered by pictures , and the other one covered the questions. The part that has pictures , has pictures of people , and different animals.

While we were working on the questions the student said, "I like cats." I quickly learned where the idea of cat came from. Cats are in the picture.

I responded saying, wow ! that is interesting. I told him that I like cats too, though I did not have a cat. He said , yes I have a cat and continued telling me few things about his cat. He told me he liked his cat a lot and he enjoyed spending time with his cat. He shared few more things about his cat.

Once he finished expressing his love for his cat, he enthusiastically said , he like fish as well.

He told me that he had a pet fish by the name philly. He then started telling me a story about his fish, philly. He was so passionate in telling the story.

This is how the story unfold. He told me he had a fish by the name phylly . He told me he was old when they had him, but he said they had a very good time before he died few months ago.

He told me that him and phylly were very good friends. I wonder what makes them to be a good friends after I listened the first part of the story. He told me he loved phylly so much and their relationship was strong. He told me he always loved the time he spend with Philly.

I asked him further question why he loved his time with phylly. I was curious to know a bit more about them.

He told me he is a very good friend of him. He said, in fact phylly is the only friend he has that he could share anything. He said phylly is a friend that he would share everything. He said , phylly is a freinds that he could share all what he has in his mind and in his heart . He told me , phylly is a freind he could share eveything , his feelings, his thoughts, his excitement , his worries.

He told me phylly is the only freind that listened to him without judging him. He told me he is the only friend he listened to him without saying anything negative , or wrong or without anything that anoyed him.

I can see from his eyes that he is telling the truth . I believed all what he told me for I know he is right . I believed him knowing this is true and the case for most children. I beleive all children have a story to tell, a story that is true and genwine story , but they needed people who stop and listen to them without Judging them.

The truth is all children are different. They came from different homes. They are all difrent and learn differently and in different ways . They have different aspirations , desires , knowledge , skills. What they need at times is someone who listen to them , support and guide them in their quest. I know it is so much difficult for any educators to take time to listen to all students and their stories, because of time limitation. However , i believe listening to them is vital to support and guide them to succeed.

He contined the story saying " the only thing phylly do when I talk to him is flot from one side of the fish tank to anothre. He said , " this is the only sound I would hear when he is floting to move from place to place "bloorb", bloorb". He was trying to imitate the sound comes from the water when phylly was floting in the tank.

He said , this is why I love phylly he is a great freind. At this moment, tears filled my eyes and I literally cried . I didn't want to hide my feeling from him for I want him to know though I am there to support him in his work as educational assistant I am just a man who have a feeling . It was a touching moment for me and inspiring as well.

I tried to control all my feeling and emotions , but I could not. Then I decided to tell him what I exactly felt after I heard his story. I shared with him about my feelings , and some of the thoughts came to my mind.

I told him it was an amazing story. I also told him he should not feel bad about phylly has gone, because they already had a very good and memorable times together. I told him that is what life is all about, to meet friends like phylly , and spend memorable time togethre. I told him that is what we are all searching for in ife, to meet people and to have a good and memories time with them. I told him for me this is one of those days, because I was able to meet a freind like him and share this memorable moments with him.

He seemed he agreed with all what I said . He Infact gave me a bit of complement after. He appreciated the comments I made about the story. He shared his thougts about what he thought of me and the time we had in the morning . He gave me good complement and he asked me if I could come often to work with him . I told him I would . I accepted all his complements and I assured him I believe all what he said.

It was a great learing moment for I learned something valuable.