For 3 weeks I have been teaching songs and rhymes to little kids for 3 hours a day. The song book if full of some really fun classics like 'Found a Peanut', 'The Ants Go Marching', 'Kookaburra', and 'Ring Around the Rosie'. And then there are a few more questionable choices. For example for some reason they thought it would be a good idea to throw in Abba's 'I Have a Dream', 'I Will Follow Him' from Sister Act, and 'Edelweiss' from The Sound of Music. Just why they thought kids would enjoy this I will never know. But one song definitely stood out in my mind in terms of horrible judgement - on the first day I was expected to have the kids listen to and sing a song called 'Donna Donna'. Here is a cover of it:
It has terribly depressing lyrics, and I recently found out was an old Yiddish song written about Jews in the Holocaust. Although it is a pretty song, it's not exactly what you want to teach small Taiwanese kids for 30 minutes.
My first week of camp was pretty much a nightmare. I had two boys who at the beginning of each class were best friends, but by the end of class would be screaming at each other and swearing in Chinese. Most days I had to pull them off each other as they tried to throw punches, and almost every class ended with one of them in tears. I learned that it is very hard to mediate angry little boys when you don't know what they are saying or even fighting about. This was the first time I have ever yelled in class, and I learned what my angry teacher voice sounds like.
Luckily the second week was as different as could be. I had the cutest little kids who would do anything I said and loved every single thing I had them do. The class was so much fun, and I think I really taught them some important life lessons - like how to play duck duck goose. This week was great again with very enthusiastic and fun kids.
Because I don't have the energy to sing and dance for 3 hours straight I figured out some crafts we could do that would relate to the songs. On the day I had to teach 'this little pig goes to market...' we made finger puppets. One day we made sock puppets and had them sing. And one day we made noise makers out of empty soda cans and some beans.
We also played a lot of games. I played every variation of musical chairs I could think of. "Ok this time when I stop the music you have to stand on the chairs." "Ok this time you have to hop on one foot until the music starts again." "Ok this time say the alphabet backwards while you pat your head and spin in circles and wiggle your butt." So maybe I didn't really do that last one, but you get the point.
Overall it was a lot of fun but very exhausting. I have one more camp next week - COOKING CAMP. I can't cook to save my life and I informed my boss of that, but I think they are really desperate to fill the spot. Hopefully I will not catch anything on fire or cut off any body parts!
Week 2 - Some of my campers and their sock puppets
I brought in a jump rope and taught them 'Cinderella dressed in yellow...'
Playing a ball game like hot potato
Kids with their piggy finger puppets
Me in teacher mode.
Week 3 - My class with their finger puppets
This kid was super smart but way crazy. He drove me nuts and made me laugh all at the same time.
I told them to be cool. They succeeded.
These two are sisters. And so freaking cute.
My one students finger puppets were super creative. Look at the dog with his little poo!
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