Miss Sam, I Want to Learn English with You!

By chance, I had an amazing six-grade-student. Not only she was smart but also she had a perfect manner and always put big enthusiasm to my lesson. She knew how to draw my attention, liven the fun class atmosphere and sometimes propose new idea for enjoyable lesson. She was likeable by the teachers and by most of the students. I was so grateful having her in my classroom. I could say as well, she was my sweetheart student.

Well, actually, the big story was not about her but about she had -what people call- a very annoying young brother. Let me call him, Reuben. He was six years old. When the mother drove her to my school, Ruben would always tag her along. Then, the topsy-turvy would happen soon. He would run here and there, touched anything that drew his attention, sometimes made noisy sounds that disturbed the students who were learning in my classroom.

His mother once said,” Miss. Sam, I am sorry for my son’s misbehavior”. She was trying to calm Reuben down by grabbing his arm so that he did not roam anywhere.

I tried to understand him sincerely as I patted Reuben’s head softly and said, ”It’s okay, Reuben’s ma, I do understand. Someday he will be sitting here and listening to my lesson”. My lips developed a sincere smile. “By the way, do you send him to school? He just turns six last month, isn’t he?” I asked the mother.

“Not to school, Miss Sam but currently he is doing homeschool program. To be honest, I am afraid sending him to school since he cannot behave well”.

“What do you mean? I don’t see his misbehavior traits along this time?”

“Well,… you just don’t know him”, Reuben’s ma sighed then shook her head, seemed hopeless. “You know, he should be entering first grade this year. I took him to some schools in neighborhood even to his sister’s school, but he rejects them all. It’s hard to explain the reason, he just doesn’t want to go to school. If I insist him to go to school, I am afraid he will make trouble at school, just like what happened when he was in kindergarten before. That’s why I decide to homeschool him for a while than he doesn’t study at all”.

I glanced at Reuben. He was exploring things around me. My feeling as a teacher, I knew

Reuben got a big learning potential, only I haven’t known on which side since I never attached for long time with him. Just like that day, perhaps, he seemed to ignore me but I knew he was listening attentively to the conversation between his mother and me. I caressed Reuben’s ma shoulder trying to reassure her that everything will be okay. I, myself as a teacher, believed that Reuben unwillingness of school would be just a temporary state of him. Children are just like a mysterious box, we have to be careful handling them.

I was an engineer but I chose to be a teacher as my passion was in teaching. I had many acquainted teachers from America and they told me a lot how wonderful become a language teacher. Hence, I took up learning English intensively, soon I fell in love with it.

After I graduated from TEFL certification program in The United States, I came back to my homeland and started teaching ESL (English Second Language) for Indonesians, far away, in a warm tropical climate country, precisely, the Sumatera Island.

I taught English learners from young children to adult, from zero beginners to advance students. It was so challenging, especially when I was teaching young learners, so tricky.  I could not just give the children exercises and tell them to do them behind the tables nevertheless those little brains were so complicated. I had to work with their behavior and inspired them more so they had passion on learning a new language.

                I used to open the class activity using various ways to grab students’ attention. Sometimes we dance together, sing a song, tell story or merely asked them to tell story to their friends. I believed it is human’s nature that they love to be heard, even for kids. All of my students followed my lesson perkily. Reuben just came and went from my classroom. I never scolded him either since what he was doing did not disturb the other students. Oftentimes after class, he tried to draw my attention and gave me his paperwork of drawings he made at home. He showed it to me proudly and asked me to grade it.  

                One fine day, I was telling a story to my students. I sat on a chair while all of my students sat down on the floor in circle, and of course Reuben was one of them. The Three Little Kittens, my favorite classic story. The kids absolutely loved that story. They listened to the story very well, sometimes in the some parts I allowed them to chime in the story then we meowed together. It was such an endearing moment with them. Reuben seemed enjoying the moment as well. Suddenly Reuben spoke loudly in Indonesian language, “Miss Sam, you look young from waist to face, but you look old from waist down”. Suddenly, all people in the classroom laughed. I didn’t realize Reuben had been noticing me from top down since we were sitting in circle. He looked at my bare feet, without shoes, and he spotted my cracked heels.

                Everybody burst into laugh. I couldn’t hide my big laugh as I exchanged look with my peer teacher. She grinned responding to that tickling moment. Indeed, it was an unexpected sentence coming from Reuben, the child whom we ignored his presence around us.

                One-hour-lesson has passed. When the bell rang, I closed up the lesson with some messages, hoping they liked the lesson and a soft remainder to keep learning wherever they are. I escorted all the students to the school’s gate where the parents’ car waiting. Reuben and his sister said good-bye and got onto their car. The car left very slowly avoiding the children who were still gather around at the left and right side of the school’s way. I noticed Reuben slid down the car’s window, suddenly he craned out his head, waved his hand to me and shouted cheerfully, “Miss Sam! I want to learn English with you!”

                I waved back to him with a hearty smile as I nodded my head. The first day I opened a conversation with you, I knew, you are one of my special students, I retorted.

***With great admiration for all my ESL students in Indonesia. I hope I become a teacher who can take a hand, open a mind and touch a heart. 

Back to Teacher's Diary