The Journey

WARNING!
Quite a loooooong post … You may want use this as your bedtime story. Hehe!

Throughout my teaching experiences at three kindergartens, all three run their “Graduation Ceremony cum Concert" rather differently.

When I first came to know about this school’s style, I was shocked!
First was to know they have TWO nights of concert. Reason being there are two sessions of children and it is just too many to combine.
Another was the grandness of the concert, at least compare with my experiences at the previous two kindergartens.
And the help received on concert nights, whether from the church people, ex-teachers or ex-students etc. Everyone seem to will set aside those nights to be available to help or just to watch.

With the grandness definitely comes the busyness and maybe also cause I’m taking the graduating classes thus busyness will be twice than other levels. Of course being busy during concert is unavoidable but I must say I don’t really have much “pressure” in this school. 

Seriously speaking, is also in this school where my perspectives of concert changed and of course this credit goes to the Principal who believes/expects differently.

Few examples:
(1) after much practicesss and rehearsalsss, if a child falls sick on the actual night…

I used to think “Aiya! Wasted! Cant get to perform, the child’s practicesss has gone into waste!”
But Principal Mrs E Tan reminded even for children’s concert, it is not the product but the process that matters. Whether they perform on the actual concert or not, what’s more important is the skills, the fun and the moments the child has during the practices and rehearsals. 

(2) “Worry this! Worry that!“ tends to happen hours before the concert…
Sometimes the pressure can comes from the management whether we have done this or whether we have done that

But not here. 
Hours before the concert, Principal Mrs E Tan will gather all staff to pray in the main auditorium - for the family and friends who will be coming, for the little ones who will be performing and for the staff and helpers.
The environment Principal Mrs E Tan has set is we shouldn't be worrying or panicking or complaining before or during or after the concert. Once all done are done, once we did our best and we should leave the rest to God. She wants us to enjoy the moments with the little ones. 

(3) Usually the dance steps will be from the teachers and when the children are ready, they will first perform to the Principal. Unlike my other experiences, you rarely hear Principal Mrs E Tan making comments like “why are their actions not synchronized?” or “why Child X is doing like?” “Why Child Y is doing like that?” etc.
It will always be praise affirmations to children and the class teacher too.
 
Her key belief, whether is it for concert or for the things she embark in school: “think children”
 
So in concert contact…
When one child finally moves, even a little (as not at all at last year concert or even during combined rehearsals), the entire staff will rejoice and praise the child. 

And is in this kind of environment, teachers rarely lose their cool on the children during practices or rehearsals, especially when they couldn’t catch the cue or actions. 

Come next week, 31 October and 1 November…
You wont be seeing a concert with children dressed up too extravagantly or in any special costumes but rather some typical casual wear (as the school believes not just in costumes where the children can only wear once, during concert). 
Or even teachers who are too dressed up as the school believes the limelight should be on the children (this is definitely something different from my previous kindergartens). Hehe!

But a concert where you will see little ones shaking and dancing proudly on the stage, not just making their daddy, mummy and grandparents proud, their teachers showing “Thumbs up” but also bringing a smile on their Heavenly Daddy’s face.

not so nice

Seriously, the last thing I want when I’m tired (especially when is more than just physical) is to have one giving me a not-so-nice attitude in a not-so-nice tone. =(

Sad to say, it happened last weekend with ABC and that affected me quite a little that I decided to let ABC know how I feel. The fact that I’m blogging somehow also means it had left “something” in me or maybe just that ABC’s responses were made in the wrong season.  
Maybe that’s first time ABC experienced my not-happy-about-it mood. 

“serving should be done out of joy and freewill but now it feels like is compulsory..…” a little part of what I told ABC

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”
Proverbs 18:21
Gotta be very careful with what we speak and how we speak too.

ps: Dear faithful readers, please do not attempt to ask questions. =p
No worries, I'm fine after blogging... 

After

Most of the time, teachers' job is more than just during hours in school.
Very often, the teachers will still be at work after the official school hours.

Just today alone...
Straight after 2nd session dismissal, I spent ~15mins coaching Child JT. This happens twice a week and on my own freewill as felt the child needs that extra help academically. Though may not help a lot but just doing my level best to prepare Child JT for Primary 1.

After that I made a quick trip to Nex to get the shirts for my girls as I wanted them to try the sizes tomorrow and hopefully settle it over this weekend. Time is running!

Came back school - called Child GT’s mum to arrange birthday party, did markings and settled admin for graduation.

At about 7pm, went for home visit with colleagues. We spent a solid 2hrs there. Appreciate the great hospitality of the parents and grandmother who actually prepared dinner for us.

That’s not the end.
Just when I checked my phone, I received messages from a parent (yes, some parents have my personal number) and said that Child JD who was absent today wants to talk to me.
I called back immediately. Spoke to the child who just wanted to tell me wont be coming to school tomorrow.

As fruitful as a home visit like this, especially when parents shared that the child likes you more than their teacher last year and of course the great bonding time... it can be tiring and especially if the home visit is after school/in the night.

Now the "mentally tiring" part is knowing that after being home, bath and rest… in hours time will be back to the place where I left hours ago.

Asking God for strength, more strength.
Tomorrow will be another concert walk-through and then graduation items practices.

The session that we had two days ago was pretty “interesting”.
The K2 children were literally saying that they were tired. Could really see their relieved face when we had them to sit down to rest.
Seriously speaking, not just the children, us the teachers felt too and especially after two sessions - literally no break, tight timing. 

The day went...
All levels of children went up to hall almost immediately after assembly and toileting.
The first walk-through (Grand Entrance)...  being a WALK-through means that the children really walked and walked. We did for two rounds. 

Next was to practice their Grand Finale item, they were still standing (at least for the K2s). The children then went back classroom for snack. 

Other levels stayed in their class but the K2s went straight back to hall again and this time to practice K2 special item. And likewise, the children were standing, walking, doing actions, going up and down stairs. Not forgetting to take instructions given and memorize as much as possible. 

With all these, many thumbs for the K2s! 
They may verbally tell us "we are tired already" but they have never once literally refused to do or didn't give their best. 

Intense

“the day” and “the day” are coming

Tomorrow concert walk-through.
Next week first combined concert rehearsal.
Following week full-dress concert rehearsal.
Next up … actual CONCERT!!!

Due to the many visits and other school events, everything pertaining to concert actually started late this year - whether practice or costumes.

I must say that just costumes alone almost drive me up the wall. -_-
Unlike other levels, it can be challenging to search for our K2 costumes.
First will be their sizes thus not easy to find the appropriate ones.
Most-faced-encountered-issue: nice and appropriate design but they don't sell sizes for older groups of children.
Next as they are graduating classes thus their costumes got to be elegant and stands out more.

From coordinating with the lady boss to the branch boss…
From emailsssss to callsssss… From asking to waiting to negotiating
Made several trips with colleagues, with I and me and myself

From Chinatown shops to Jurong Point to Bishan to Chinatown malls to Novena to Toa Payoh to Nex mall.
Here are just some:

As we are less than a month away, the practices for concert are getting intense. From as and when free to twice a week to now… everyday.
And all these are on top of the curriculum and work expectations.

Specially want to salute my K2s. Being the graduating classes, they have more than just “Grand Entrance”, one “Dance” and “Finale”. 
They are doing awesome! Looking forward to the two days!