Teaching very young children has both its challenges and rewards.   They arrive on the first day of school, brand new, excited, full of enthusiasm and raring to learn.    Each child wants the teacher’s attention immediately, as she is still egocentric and the centre of her own world.  Teaching thirty little girls to follow a classroom routine, sit still, wait their turn and consider their peers has to be done along with the 3 RS.  It is at this time of year that we see the results, and it always amazes us.

Learning to Read

Each grade at our school has a turn to demonstrate what they have been doing in class, at an Assembly.  As our turn came around each term, we chose the more confident children to take the leading parts, making sure as many as possible got a turn.  This term we were blown away as many of the less confident children got their chance to shine.  Just a few months ago they would not have managed it, but all our children have grown so much in maturity and confidence, that even the shyest were able to learn a few lines, stand up confidently, and say them.

We, the teachers, breathed a sigh of relief when at the performance went off without a hitch.  But when the principal complemented our little ones with the words, “You were beyond phenomenal,”  we could have burst with pride.