Y is for Yak

This is what we're learning today in kindergarten class. The kids will finally be finishing the alphabet, and great rejoicing will be heard throughout the school.

My 4-6 year olds are really bright, and they learn quickly. Luckily, they also have a stellar group of parents who are supportive without being pushy. They wait patiently while their kids stay after class to make sure they're satisfied, personally satisfied, I should say (I could give two hoots as to whether they color within the lines or not), with their work. They dutifully tally up their stars for the day, and encourage the kids to accumulate even more next time. They are, all in all, good parents, the kind of parents every teacher loves.

So, good job parents. You've managed to break the Chinese parent mold, you're not pushy and you're not demanding. Your kids enjoy learning and have accomplished a lot. I know you'll probably never see this, but I'm giving you a "shout out" just the same. To all parents out there with kids and school, try to remember first and foremost that your kids are there to learn and to take joy and pride in learning. Encourage that joy, that curiosity inherent in all children, and never, ever, let learning become just another chore. Your children (and their teachers) will someday thank you!

My little school is growing up

In a week, my first class will graduate from Level 1 to Level 2. This is our inaugural class, the class that started the school, the class that has stuck with us for a whole school year, and has served as our guinea pig class as well as our model class.

This is a big milestone for the kids. They've finished a whole book, they're on to Book 2. While they're still at the beginner stage, they've accomplished something a lot of kids never will. These kids, 7 girls and 1 boy, aged 8-11, have gone from speaking barely any English to being able to introduce themselves, able to make requests, able to say what they're doing and what they like doing, name the rooms in a house and what happens in each room, name clothes and what you wear in hot and cold weather, name the body parts, and a whole lot more. They have a vocabulary of probably 500 or so words, not too bad for eight months! A lot of them have taken a real interest in English, and in their own primary schools have gone from being so-so English students to the top of their class, examples for others.

I'm proud of this class. Their graduation is a milestone not just for the kids, but for our school as well. When this class started, they were our first and only students. We now have over 100 students, kindergarten, primary school, high school and adults. We now have not one, but 12 classes of varying levels. We have new students signing up every day. Our school is, slowly but surely, growing, and this first graduating class was there from the start.

I hope these kids stick with us until they all go off to college, but even if they don't, they'll always have a special place in my heart. I couldn't have made this school what it is without them, and for that, they deserve my thanks.