I am an old school teacher teaching 21st century kids and I’m loving it.  My old self sometimes cringes at the new methods I’m using and screeches out, “this is not going to work – my Grade 1s will never cope with this.”  Then I take a deep breath go into the classroom and get with the programme.   The little princesses knock the socks off me by getting it right in spite of my fears.  Trust the process, is now my daily mantra.  We don’t really understand how children learn – so be it phonics, look and say, Thrass or whatever – if its presented in the right way they catch on a drink it all in like little sponges.   I don’t know why the doubts still lurk. In my checkered career I have done the Old Maths, The New Maths, The Own Method Maths. I’ve taught “Break Through” and Longman’s Book Project and thoroughly taught phonics along with them too.  And it all worked a what I am doing now is working too.   Its keeping learning fun and interesting that does it in the end.

We have just ended another fun-filled week.  On Monday the girls came to school dressed in red and white – Valentine’s Day being our theme for the day.   After a few regular lessons in Reading and Maths we igot on with our Valentine’s Funscape.   First we discussed the meaning of this romantic day and then sat down to make cards for those special people in our lives.  Then we visited a touch farm and expressed our love to the cute little bunnies, the comical goats, fat little pigs and the docile ponies.  All this was followed by a picnic on the lawn before we returned to school at home time.

Ah yes – Valentine’s Day – it is indeed a romantic time.  A little lad from the boys’ class approached me shyly and asked, “Please give this to Paris, in your class.” and he handed me a beautifully wrapped parcel and a card.  “Don’t you want to give it to her yourself?” I asked.  But no he was too shy for that.  (Please bear in mind that no real names are used here – all my girls are named Paris).
I handed to gift to Paris and she looked all coy and giggled a thank you.    Later her suitor approached me again, “What did Paris say?” he asked – I told him she giggled a thank you.  Then I told her to go and thank him too which she did.   It was ever so sweet!

My own Valentine’s day was sweet too.  I arrived home exhausted and in a fog of school thoughts and right past a vase of red roses and a card.  This was not to be tolerated by my 14 year old grandson -“Gran,” he said, “You’ve walked right past an enormous card and a vase of flours from your Valentine!’  Oops!   And there they were plonked in an empty olive jar for a vase and in the heart on the card a picture of my hero with a 10kg yellow-tail! Was the heart for me or the fish?   Well at least the roses were for me!

We celebrated with friends at a Wasabi in Constantia – the sushi was to die for the company stimulating and we all wore red and white.   Life is good!