Back at the blackboard

Back to school !!! Actually I love going back! I love the clean classroom, new books, stationary.Best of all -the new little faces!! What a wonderful feeling! After 16 years I still haven't lost that feeling-guess if I do,I'd better quit! There of course, are days when I feel tired, frustrated etc, but these are few and far between.

I love reading about other schools all over the world and love the aol journals by teachers in America.I find it fascinating that kids are kids no matter where in the world they are!

My class this year seems very immature compared to last years'. Listening seems to be the number one problem in children at our school.We have a "once only" instruction policy in our school(actually we do repeat it a second time but no more than that!) We just find that we are spending so much wasted time repeating instructions!! While I do have 2 ADD children,the rest seem almost as bad!

I have even had a talk with the parents of my students about getting their kids to respond the first time they spoke-all the parents agreed that they often tell their children to do something, only to be ignored, until they have repeated themselves sooo many times until they "explode". Now I understand the problem! Well, I have been very consistent and it has started paying off in class!

We have so many children who are neglected by their parents.I find it very frustrating as we do not get much help from social services!!! I think their case loads are just too great!So much child abuse takes place that children left late after school etc just takes a back seat and is not really seen as neglect! We had a 3 year old that was dropped off at our school this year-no parents, he could hardly speak english, and no contact no. We had to call the polic to take him to his granny(whose house he luckily, could find!)The sad thing is, is that he wasn't even upset about getting left! Used to it maybe????

Anyway,I get very worked up about child neglect/abuse so I'll stop now!

Take care and God Bless

Time

I trust you all had a great Christmas and New Year! I have been soooo busy that I have neglected my journal-I think everyone has given up on me!!!

I just find time is against me and before I know it I am turning off my nightlight and waking to my screeching alarm! I have been on vacation, but most of my day has been spent as referee to my sons-they argue ALL DAY and its exhausting!HELP!!!!The rest of the day is spent feeding them and proof-reading a book a friend of mine has written.

I am SOOO fortunate to have a domestic lady who does my cleaning and ironing for me.She has become such a good friend to my children as she is almost like a granny to them.I realise in America most people don't have domestics and when my husband lived/worked in the UK,they frowned upon us having a domestic! They said we were no better than slave owners.I suppose they don't know us or the relationship we have with her,so they can't be blamed I suppose!AND History has alot to do with it!!ANYHEW......

Sadly,Lettie grew up during the apartheid era and has little schooling so all she can do for income is do domestic work ( a plight of many poor people in our country!)I put her photo in as a bit of a tribute to her as without her TIME would be my enemy! She is nearing retirement age soon, so I will appreciate her help for a little while longer-but she will be missed!Doesn't she look smart?She was dressed for church when I took these pics-she is a Christian(very few Xhosa-speaking people are)and leader at her church.

I will have to get a good routine going when she retires! watchout kids!!!!