Monday, April 18, 2011

about teaching little kids

Nowadays, every saturday I help teach kendo to little kids.

not as in a real full-fledged teaching where I plan and coordinate everything that's going to go on in the dojo, but its more like an assistant teacher where I go "here, you should do this and that, yes thats it very good, very very good" to every kid so they can keep themselves motivated and stuff.

No, I don't whack them - yet.

those kids are probably like... 5 to 12 years old? they are actually adorable. I never used to think kids are cute (except maybe the very obedient kindergardener little girl i teach swimming) but those kids are very endearing.

I teach them little things that are likely to be forgotten everyday, and they seem to be actually listening to me.
the thing that inspired me to get off my lazy bum and write this post (apart from my inactivation of facebook that is) is that when one of the kids tripped and fell, she instantly looked up at me and said "I'm okay!" I was like AWW (later she was crying, while continuing the class. i told her she can stop and rest but she didn't. i'm very proud of this little girl.)

its also very cute that all of them look at me after they do something and wait for my nod of approval - which i always give, but after that i might give some advice.

but one sobering fact is that when i used to be a small little boy, I used to have some older ones in the places I learned my stuff - be it swimming, martial arts, etc etc etc. Now, I am the senior, and from the eyes of the little boy that I was, the seniors were something that was quite old and experienced.

hmm. should i be feeling old?

6 comments:

Joshua said...

hmm. should i be feeling old?

Nope. :)

Tats! said...

thank you Joshua. old is 1000years old. we never grow old. we die before we go old.

Joshua said...

Haha. You're welcome. If anything, you should be feeling humble. As you said, you were a boy, but now you're the senior. Authority should always walk with humility.

AmeliaLove said...

Tats you are such a sweetheart, makes me miss teaching Sunday School as well. :)

A very old sweetheart, that is. :P

jene said...

So cute la your post....=)

sweister said...

Saluting your patience with kids. I always thought I love kids but put me with them, I'm imagining myself either pinching the cheeks of all the cute ones or just being so impatient with the spoilt ones I'd just whack them.

Any spoilt kids among the bunch that you teach? Always hear stories about them from my mum who's teaching in a kindergarten now.

I used to think seniors were cool as well when I was younger. Now that I'm here, it's not so cool anymore. :(

You're only considered old when you don't find joy in things you used to enjoy doing so much anymore.

squander