Oh, those kids! They're so great!

I had a really good time today at field experience. I got there early because I needed to finish my Multiple Intelligences project for Intro to Teaching, and that included checking off a list some things that applied to the kids to see what their kind of intelligence was. Of course, I don't know the kids all that well, so I had to find some sort of way to get to know these kids and what they liked to do. I wanted to be their early so I could hang out with them for a while, decide what to do, and then do it.

Well, when I got there, I found out that the jump roping contests were today, and all the kids in the school were in the gym watching 4th, 5th, and 6th graders jump roping. I asked Mrs. A how long it would go... She said, "Quite a while." Eh... How was I to do my homework, then? It was due tomorrow! :/

There wasn't much I could do, so after chatting with Mrs. A a little bit, I just took her suggestion and went and watched the jump roping. Seven of "my" kids were in it :)--Joy, Jasmine, Jordan, Cassie, Glenn, Andrew, and Michael. Michael is one popular kid! Good-looking, too--I mean, for a fourth grader. LOL.

Oh man... Quintin gave me the BIGGEST smile when he saw me today. (At least I think it was Quintin... I haven't quite learned yet how to tell the Hispanic kids apart... Yes, my low experience with other-ethnicity kids is that bad!) That was priceless. That is what teachers say, "This is why I do this" for. Honestly... Nothing makes you feel more loved than having a kid give you a big smile when they see you.

Another priceless moment was when I overheard Jasmine talking to Joy. Joy, I think, was a little nervous about the jump rope participation, and Jasmine leaned toward her in the most friendly way and said with the most confident smile, "You'll do good!" Oh, wow... I nearly told her mom, "Your child is a jewel!" I held back only 'cause I was afraid she might think it kind of... overly sentimental? Especially since she has no idea who I am! LOL. I should've said it... {sigh} "We regret (we regret)... We regret all the things we don't do." (That's a song by the Coats.)

After today I am seriously contemplating switching my major to elementary education. With probably a minor in English... I just don't think I could give up English altogether! I love it too much. Anyway. :) Who knows? We'll see.

Gosh, today was good.

Oh! I forgot one of the best parts! I'll get to that.

Coming back from field experience, I looked again on this sign-up sheet on the door to the stairs in Ford (dorm). I had read it before and not been interested, but today two words caught my eye: jump rope. So I stopped and read it again. It was a sign-up sheet to be a counter on a the elementary kids' jump roping contest that will be happening this Thursday and next.

What do you think I did? I signed up! :D It's not like me to sign up for something like that... For anything, really, LOL... But it was there, immediately after coming back from field experience, and I thought, Maybe I'll see some of my kids there! Two of the boys got 2nd place in their "divisions." :) I hope I do get to see them!

Anyway... What was I going to say? Oh, yeah, the rest of my field experience time.

After the jump roping ended, they had recess (they needed it! :D ), and after that I helped two of the kids out with spelling in the classroom. Larry... He's so funny! He screws his face up really tight when he knows he knows how to spell something but is unsure! It's just hilarious... I had to hide my face so he wouldn't see me laughing. :)

It was so great to see their joyous, triumphant expressions, though, when they got a word right that they had been having trouble with. Oh, man... It feels SO good to be wanted and needed and to help somebody--especially kids! I'm so glad we have to do field experience. :)

After spelling I still had the crisis of that homework assignment to do. I had my two kids. And I had a few feeble guesses at what they enjoyed marked on my paper. But I had to come up with something in the last 20 minutes I had there. I had a plan, actually; I wrote out some general questions, like, "Do you like to read? sing? Play any sports?" etc., etc. But I knew I'd have to speak to the kids personally and that was WAY scary... But I had 20 minutes and ticking! I had to do it! So I gathered up ALL my courage and finally called out, "Glenn."

He didn't hear me.

Oh, heavens... I called his name two more times, bravery diminishing with each call, and finally I just went up to him, tapped him on the shoulder, and hoped I didn't look too terrified as I asked him to come sit with me.

I assumed the best conversational tone I could and said, "We're not going to work anything, I just want to ask you some things about yourself, okay?" He nodded and I proceeded with my questions. He likes to read and spell! That surprised me! I knew he was smart in math. Reading and spelling, too! Wow. He wasn't so much musical; that I had guessed already. Another thing that surprised me was that he liked to draw. He told me himself that he "draws really good." :D I told him I'd like to see some of his drawings sometime.

After I'd asked all my questions for him, I let him go back to his seat and called up Cassie. I was a little more comfortable with her, 1) because she's a girl, and 2) because she's so much like me, from what I can tell. Most of her answers didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was that she's in karate! Wow. She's more athletic than I was in elementary school. :)

I found out she plays the piano. That was cool! I told her I play the piano, too. She also likes to draw.

Anyway, wow, I had way too much fun talking to those two. That was the best part of the day. And I was so scared! It was so much fun, though.

I am so happy to be in a class with those kids. I'm glad God put me there, I should say. It's sad... There are only so many Tuesdays and Thursdays left that I get to spend with them... I'm going to spend as much time as I can with them, though, in those few days! Gosh, I love kids... Heeheehee! :D

Oh, I forgot one of the funniest parts of the day. While I was chatting with Mrs. A we got on the topic of Michael and Cassie. They're "boyfriend and girlfriend." Michael--oh my goodness. Last week, when Dominique announced to me (with Michael right there) that Michael had given Cassie a necklace and something else, I looked up at him and said, "That was nice!" He looked... I can't even describe it. Shy. Cute. Sweet. Adorable. He is shy; that's what Mrs. A told me today. (Though I had already figured it out.) I think it's all SO CUTE!!

{laughing} All right, enough of the girly "SO CUTE"-ness. ;D I'm gonna go now.

Aren't kids great?

Love,
Stephanie