Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Tuesday SOL: What did you just call me?




I am participating in the
Tuesday Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.
A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity
for teacher-writers to share and reflect.


In these first few weeks of the school year, one of my ESL students has added so many new English words to his repertoire. He sits very quietly, observing and listening, not visibly participating in our songs, fingerplays, and stories. Later, as he falls asleep at nap, I hear him whisper and repeat, quietly to himself, playing with the English words, the unfamiliar tongue. He is very dear. I'm amazed at how quickly language can be acquired when you are three years old. 

I knew I would hook him with Audrey Woods' The Napping House. I've shared this book with children for so many years that it is a well-worn act for me...a book I can recite from memory. He stared intently at every page, as I recounted the granny, the child, the dog, the cat, the mouse, the flea. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Such a funny tale, really! I watched him watch me with the book, and I wondered - is he following this story? His classmates would spontaneously call out, as if on cue, "where everyone was sleeping!," at the end of every page, but he stayed mute, staring. He stayed quiet as the rest of us laughed together at the conclusion - the broken bed, and everyone playing outside in the sunshine. Then I closed the book and dismissed the children to their lunches.

He sidled over to me and said, "Ok, Granny!"

Ha!

He thinks the word for an old, gray-haired lady is granny! He learned this from The Napping House.  

This makes me smile. 

You tell me, are we really the same?




8 comments:

  1. I love this slice so much. What a sweet moment. You describe the child so well that I can really picture him as he is taking it all in. And what he does with it- priceless. What a happy smile you have!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is such a great slice to read! I am so happy that he is learning from you and that you are working so hard to include things that will help him to build his English.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A great slice! You captured his love of learning so well. What a wonderful journey you will have this year!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my goodness! The things kids say.
    You don't look like that Granny, Maureen!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is great. Although the resemblance is lacking, I am sure you smile every time you picture him saying "granny" in your head. Children never cease to amaze.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is such an amazing slice! It makes me excited to get into my first classroom within the next year. I definitely need to keep in mind that just because a student isn't actively participating, doesn't mean that they aren't actively learning.

    ReplyDelete
  7. A wonderful moment! (No, you don't look like the granny in the book!) He's a lucky little boy to get immessed in the English language through books, stories, and songs.

    ReplyDelete
  8. These moments are what make teaching a joy because you never know what you will be told. Even though he didn't quite understand I really like how you tried to use this to help build up his English skills.

    ReplyDelete