Beautiful Angels or Wicked Devils?? Both.

After 2 weeks in the surf program I switched over to Childcare with plans to do that for 2 weeks and then switch to teaching/tutoring for my last month. I'm so happy I made the switch!

Childcare is basically pre-K. It is their preparation for children before they enter grade R (like Kindergarten). Our childcare, Sunrise, is the biggest one in Capricorn. It has about 8 rooms and it is an actual building (has some solid walls in addition to the corrugated tin roof and walls of the portables). There are two playgrounds for the kids too. It is really nice actually--I was pretty impressed. It is super expensive (relatively) for parents to send their children though. I could have the numbers off but I think it is R200 a year (the equivalent of about $25). However, their average hourly wage is less than R10. And that is for legitimate jobs.

So the kids at Sunrise range in age from 18 months (the baby room) to 6 years, and the classes are divided up by age. I have the 3-4 year olds and they are SOOOOO adorable. Words cannot describe!

So yes, I really really really wish I could <insert photo here>. I have cursed myself about 4.3 billion times for losing my iPhone on the way here b/c that would be my way to do it :( They are coming though. Hopefully other friends will post soon and I can steal their pics! Also my ghetto Nokia--hell ya! who had to learn T9 all over again--has a camera-ish.

There are 30 kids in my class, but realistically about 27 on any given day. They are sooo sweet. Everyday I'm greeted with about 15 cuties immediately running up to me and squeezing my legs, arms, neck (whatever they can get ahold of) and screaming, "TEEAACCHAAA". I die. Lit--Erally.

Its a pretty big effort to get them all to sit back down in their circle on the rug (but of course I'm secretly so happy). There are two "teachers" (in addition to me) in every class. One actual teacher and one teacher's assistant. (My teacher is great and TA is useless). At first I thought this seemed like a lot. I was wrong. Oh so wrong. These cutie-patooties are also little monsters! You would never EVER see any American 3yo's acting the way these terrors do! Crocodile tears literally do not stop from attendance to pick-ups. They're just looking for attention but its gets incredibly annoying. They hit each other to solve ever problem. They are all the biggest narcs. They will just stop talking at any point in the day and pretend they don't understand what you are saying or don't hear it (if they don't like it). They will climb and crawl all over you and sob if you tell them you're tired. They won't look you in the eye when you reprimand them and refuse to be punished. They make gang signs in every picture. Chaos. Complete Chaos. Never seen anything like it. BUT...

They are so cute and so sweet and really want to learn and impress and do the right thing. Just what they see on a day to day basis is so outside the realm of normal for us that they don't behave the way 'normal' little kids do. They see aggression and violence everyday so they act aggressively. Makes sense. But when they get a little of their energy out they are the sweetest. They sing songs for everything they do and every lesson they learn. Adorable! They want to show you whenever they get claps whenever they get an answer right and they want a hug everytime. All 27 of them want to hold my hand on the way to the bathroom or playground. They clean up even when they are not told to but always come show you what they have before they put it or throw it away. They all want to be your favorite.

Lucian, Marulisha, Grace, David

Grace

Yep this is in the Winnie the Pooh mural at the primary school. 'Let's stop Rape against women' is also posted everywhere. Slightly different than what we see around our elementary schools and daycares.

One of the 'big' kids, Alvina.

The first few days were fun but a struggle. I couldn't really get them to listen to me at all. I was just yelling, "Hey", "You", "Honey", "In the green pants". Ineffective. I was warned that until I learned their names I would have absolutely zero authority by an ex-volunteer. I was determined to learn day 1. But OMG. Didn't factor into that that everything was pronounced with an Afrikaans accent and it all sounded a littttlllle bit the same. Hahah. I had to study spelling and by the end of the second day I had most of them down. By day 3 I was an expert. Now I had to work on my 'strict voice'. I couldn't be nice or be their friend all the time if I ever wanted them to listen to me. I had to learn to be quite a bit more forceful than I'm used to being. To get their kids in line, almost all of the teachers hit the kids--to varying degrees. My teacher is fond of having them stick their hands out and snapping them with a ruler or pen, or spanking them with her binder. Other teachers straight-up, slap them on the back of the head. A bit shocking. Took a little bit to get used to and some of it still makes me cringe. But that's their culture. It is not for me to judge. It is a much more aggressive culture than our own. As much as I'm trying to be open and accepting, there is no way in hell that I'm hitting any of these kids. I don't want them to fear me. They've got enough of that around them already. Since I can't use that as my main means of discipline I have to master my scary serious voice. I'm getting there...

 How did I get there, you ask??

On my third day, the teacher was not in school because she's going to college to earn her education degree. So it was just me and the TA. Strike that. It was just me. All by myself. The TA just up and left after the initial attendance/morning routine (the easiest part). I had no idea where she went. I thought she was probably just in the kitchen making some tea and would be back in a few months. That was just my optimistic thinking. She didn't show up again for an HOUR AND A HALF!!!! An hour and a half. Do you know how long that is to be with 28 rambunctous, wild, energetic, out-of-control 3 and 4 year olds who's first language is not English and don't listen at all because they've only known you for 2 days??? A lifetime!!!! To make matters worse, it was raining outside so they had to stay cooped up in the class rather than getting to play outside during interval (recess). ARRGH! The second she comes back I approach her, "I really can't be left alone for that length of time. I just have no control and need some help". She says, "Oh, haha, yes Teacha Kelsey"

Guess what she does next??

After 25 seconds in the class (basically just enough time for me to turn my back and walk across the room), she leaves again!!!!! Only for about 10 minutes this time. But still!!!!!!!!!!! RUDE. It was nuts. So awful. I was cursing them all as little sh**ts by the end of the day sooooooo fed up.

But it was on me to learn what I can do to handle them better (and keep a closer eye on Teacher Norma). Thursday, the teacher (Teacher Nicky) was back. THANK GOD. Think I might've had to walk out if she wasn't there. But it was a great day! So much fun. They actually learned and paid attention. It was sunny again so they got to play outside and run some of their energy off. And my voice was slowly but surely getting deeper and more stern throughout the day.

And they listened! Sort of. But I'll take it! Haha