Updates from Maggie at Visitation

The following are exchanges between students and Maggie while teaching at Visitation BVM in Kensington:

“All the hotels were full so they found a place where the cow lives and they went in there and they put the Baby Jesus where the—in the—with the thing—the cow ate Him!”

~A Kindergartener explaining Christmas

“I have a white Grandpa and a black Grandpa but I’m not allowed to say his name or he’ll hit me.”

            ~ A Kindergartener on Race and Respect

“S…I…what next? S?”

<< Yes! Next is S! Very good.>>

“Knew it! Sister Pat Tiger!”

            ~ A preschooler learning how to spell his teacher’s name

“Water fountain?” 3 year olds during the 4^th month of school because during the 4^th week of school they were rewarded with a drink from the water fountain if they said the English name.

<<No, not today. Can you find my classroom?>>

“AQUI!”

            ~Some rewards work better than others

“Oh no! That is NOT fair! Dear God please let me hear—let them call my name right now so I can go home and I don’t have to clean the room!”

*Student’s name on the loud speaker*

“YES! See, God’s answering my prayers!” With a sassy finger snap he struts out the room.

            ~Actually that was my prayer being answered…

“Ms. Myers, can you teach me something?”

<<Teach you what? What are you working on?>>

“I’m done my homework. Can you teach me something I don’t know. Like that’s your job, right?”

            ~5^th Grader trying to get out of Mathscore

“Ms. Myers can you help me?”

<<With what?>>

“My homework.”

<<I mean what are you working on?>>

“Math.”

<<Ok, but what are you doing?>>

“My math homework.”

<<Deep breath: What kind of math are you doing? What topic? What type of problem?>>

“Um, page 47. All the problems.”

A typical day includes a few frustrations, plenty of joy, and countless new ways to look at the world. We already know kids say the darndest things, but couple that with a second language and I’ve got enough gems to pay off my student loans in a week!

Working with 5^th graders in aftercare is always exciting and a little frustrating but sitting next to a student as he finally finishes his math homework, or as she beats another level of Mathscore, or sharing a favorite book with a student who I know will enjoy it, or hearing about another student’s baseball game is so refreshing that all the grievances dissipate and defeat is never even contemplated.

It’s nice to feel that you are somewhere you belong even if you can’t recall exactly the path it took to get there.