Kids are kids...are kids.
We arrived here late on Thursday night and after having Friday to settle in and explore the town, we started teaching today.
My first reflection on the day: kids are kids no matter what culture or country you are in.
They love to laugh, talk, sing, dance. They love princesses and superheroes. Playing soccer at recess. Even talking over the teacher. Some things never change.
During the first morning meeting, there was one girl who couldn’t stop talking to her friend. Yet, after getting reprimanded by the teacher she turned right back around and just kept talking.
Then she got reprimanded again. This time, with a stricter tone and that “teacher look” that is apparently universal and used around the world.
She stopped talking after that.
I couldn’t help but laugh to myself thinking how much we see this as teachers everyday in the US. This little girl reminded me of at least 20 students I could name right off the bat. Or maybe an entire class 😉
Or the boy who could not stop moving during the meeting and was bursting full of energy. I can’t wait to have in him my dance class.
One little girl who was shy and didn’t want to dance but then opened up and couldn’t stop showing off her dance moves.
The girl who would touch everything and couldn’t stop.
The two boys who I had to explain to that play-fighting wasn’t an option for a dance move when we did a choreography activity.
The kid who tried to sneak off to take a bite of his snack during class and thought I didn’t see him. Little does he know, I see all.
They were energetic and sweet. Chatty and social. Trying to push boundaries with their new teachers. Eager to learn. Bursting with energy but also with gratitude and hugs.
As teaching overseas always reminds me, kids are kids. Little energetic bodies with creative minds, hearts wanting to be loved, to be seen and to be heard.
Even in their hardships.
The children here have lived under oppression and occupation all of their lives. They are not able to go into Israel—even Jerusalem which is about 2 miles away, freely. Many need special visas and permits. Why? No other reason than that they are Palestinian. Their school is literally in the shadow of the separation border wall. Or what the Palestinians call the “apartheid wall”. More on that in a later post because I have LOTS of thoughts on that.
What effects has living in this kind of oppression had on them? How has it influenced their behavior? Has it caused difficulties for their families to parent and care for them?
Kids are kids but they are also products of the systems they live in. As we all are.
Many of our students in America live under systems of oppression and injustice too. How often do we reflect on how that affects them? How it alters their entire well-being?
And how often do we remember that kids are kids? If we did, would our empathy be greater?
What if we imagined and treated all kids around the world as our own? Would the world look different? Would we be less quick to drop a bomb, build a wall out of fear, create a law out of bias?
I have no idea but I think it’s worth a thought, even if it’s an idealistic one.
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