Snowdrops

The first Snowdrops of the year appeared this week! There's still a bit of icy snow left about but the Snowdrops, like the crocuses at home, are persistent. When Jana brought in one from the garden on Monday, I told her my Snowdrop story which I've heard from many Waldorf sources. I could write it out, but it's better told in person. I then told it to Ruza and the kids, who adored it.

I spend a lot of time thinking about storytelling. How is it different to tell stories to adults versus children? How can we learn to tell stories better to both audiences? How can we become better listeners so that we can enjoy a "nice" story? I talked with a friend about it this weekend who said that we, as the audience, want to feel included in the story, feel like we are part of the drama. That's why, she said, "I went to the grocery store and got some yogurt, and it was good," isn't a good story. But I sit in circle every day with children who say things like, "Yesterday, I went swimming and today I am going to grandma's house." The other children are enthralled, they appreciate these stories. They don't need to be part of the drama. How can we recapture that?

I tell stories all the time. I tell nice stories. And another important thing is learning to accept the audience's silence. You need to give them a moment to absorb and not expect something that sounds cliché like, "That's nice." Just let the story fall. And be okay with it.

As the Snowdrops poke their drooping heads through the frozen ground, we are looking everywhere for signs of Spring. Yesterday, we found worms in a pile of old leaves. "It is alive! It is life!" shouted Ruza. How accurate? When everything around us feels dead, it is so good to see life. We moved them carefully to the compost pile and explained how they would be our little helpers, making us magical compost which will bring new life.

Another thing about spring with young children is this:

We as adults have come to understand from many years of experience that though winter can be dreary, spring will follow. We know what to expect. My kids are 2-5. They have had so few winters and springs, and even fewer that they actually remember. So, every winter to them, it must feel like the earth is simply dying--that this is the end of the world! Imagine the wonder of finding a worm living in the dead leaf, his wriggling pink body so vibrant against the darkness of decaying plant matter. It must really feel like Ruza said, but it's the Earth that's alive! The little Snowdrop reminds us of this.

Chapter Thirty-Six: End of Year Celebration

Welcome to Saturday's "End of Year Celebration" which was basically a Christmas pageant and kindergarten graduation combined. This was the snazzy room in Exco where it took place. We had three hours of rehearsal before the performance which was nearly two hours long and followed by an hour of dinner. Looong day for the little ones.

Sharon's pretty jazzed about it.

The adorable backdrop.

"Really, you expect me to wear this?" say Kane's eyes. Nevertheless, everyone else in Mars can't wait to get dressed! Does this not remind you of elementary school plays that always involved wearing a white leotard?

Don't mess with these elves. Lookit Woody's badass face on the right.

Whatever they are doing, Eric, on the left, is horrified.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"For some reason, I don't believe this is Dior."

Yes, Christy, you can totally be a princess. That will get you all the princes.

Pluto getting dressed as elves. Not nearly as funny as Mars.

Here, Mars and Pluto perform "Winter Wonderland." Alas, no video.

Mercury's "Any Dream Will Do" was introduced by a little skit about what they wanted to be when they grew up. "I love pretty dresses and I want to live in a castle, but my friends say there are no princesses in Korea," says Christy. "I think you are smart and beautiful, any prince would love to marry you. Of course you can be a princess!" responds Nicole. "Yes, I can!"


Here are the three girls who want to be singers, serenading us. "Do you think we can be singers?"

Venus singing "Summer Holiday."

Pay attention to the adorable kissing at the end. "Ah!"


The last "Super Trouper" video I will ever post. I swear.

Each of the graduating classes put on a play that Arthur adapted for them. I continue to be impressed with his drama teaching skills. There were so many great jokes. Here, Uranus is doing Peter Pan. You can see two lost kids, Captain Hook, Smitty, and Peter Pan. Captain Hook, Dustin, was absolutely amazing.


"Joanne" (not enough boys), Michael, and Wendy singing a nursery rhyme.


Jully as Tinkerbell, throwing the mildest temper tantrum ever, walks out while Peter Pan, Tommy, and Wendy, Ariel, talk about the role of a mother.


In this one, just listen to Captain Hook's delivery. A-mazing.


Most of Uranus singing "Boom Boom Ain't It Great to Be Crazy" after scaring way Captain Hook.


The epilogue. "Happy endings make me cry!"


Mars and Mercury sing "Are There Any Cookies in the Cookie Jar?" There was a short period of time during which they thought I would have to dance with them. Luckily, that was sorted out because I would have been awful ("You are going to need a lot of practice, I think," responded Rosie).


Backstage, Jupiter is getting ready to sing "Playground in My Mind." Jake is yawning, but it looks like he is trying to bite Kelly's arm. Meanwhile Steve, behind him, is looking a little concerned about the situation.




Pluto's play, also adapted by Arthur, was The Wizard of Oz. I was running out of video, so I only have a little bit. This part with Rocco as the cowardly lion is my favorite. It matches his personality so well.



The whole cast singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the end.


Backstage Uranus and Mercury get ready for "Animal Boogie" which was my least favorite song (see: poorly made rhymes and inability to fit lines to the meter) so I did not take video of it.

They were already so hot and sweaty from singing, dancing, and their Peter Pan costumes. "So hot!" was all Mike said to me the whole night.

"Please, no photos." Mars gets ready backstage in their adorable shiny pink costumes.

Kevin and Harry aren't nervous. They're just four.

What I love about this video of "Zippity Do Dah" is that Fita, all the way to the left, and Liam, in the middle, actually got the dance down. They were having a lot of trouble for a long time. It's also impressive because at age four walking up stairs is a major feat of coordination and these kids can dance!

Finally, we have some more elves--Jupiter and Venus--for "Santa Claus is Coming"


Just a clip.

Afterwards, we had a fancy dinner buffet. It looked like a wedding, seriously. It was in this huge hall, with white linens and covered chairs. Crazy! Nicole brings the class.

While the adults ate, mostly the kids ran around with big lollipops and made us nervous. Here's Stephen on a sugar rush.

Chris enjoyed the buffet style immensely, but he said he feels incredibly awkward at any function like this. I think I lost my ability to feel awkward since coming to Korea.

Tommy, from my second grade class, was there to cheer on his sister. He did a lot of running around, too. Chris, on the right, is the biggest ham and I love him for it.

This might be the single greatest shot of Liam ever taken. His eyes are OPEN. He has more to his face than just missing teeth. He looks like a little man! I am going to miss this one so much.

Back at home, I put the two roses I recieved from my students into my classy beer mug vase. Yeah, I've given up on cleaning since I will be leaving so soon. I'm in the process of packing as well.

Up next, "Extreme Abba Musical Chairs."

Chapter Fourteen: Another Package and Excellent Monday

Today I received another totally amazing package, this time from the wonderful Nicole, fellow food-blogger/Smithie/LI'er/P2P'er/might as well be my lil' sister. Contained in it was ton of good 'Merican stuff. I loved the fact that she used $5 stamps. I cannot believe they make those or that you could have so many stamps on one thing! Uh-mazing.

CD, letter, and rice-cooker recipes galore! I've been thinking about getting a rice-cooker since it would essentially double my ability to cook and I'm sure I can find one really cheap around here. My last big purchase (hiking boots) was one of the best I've ever made.

The simple pleasures: Annie's and oatmeal (the latter I happen to recognize from Smith dining halls and appreciate more than if she had purchased it herself)!

MMM candy and snacky goodness. I had been theorizing about how to simulate Reese's because of my deep craving for them, but now I don't have to!

Finally, some essentials (yay Burts Bees! How I was in need of the stuff!), more candy, and British chocolates. I feel like getting British chocolates mailed to me in Korea from my Long Island friend who is at Smith is pretty much the definition of my life.

Today was also great because they are repairing the kitchen, thus we got kimbap for lunch! I was going to go purchase my own and eat at home, but it was all there and ready to be consumed, nom-nom-nom. Kimbap, if you'll remember, is the Korean version of sushi. Which we ate on our field trip last time (and probably will on Wednesday's sports' day field trip) in this photo:You take bap (seaweed), moisten it, put down a layer of sticky rice(bap), then a layer of veggies and proteins (typically egg, meat, and fish), then roll it up and roll it through some vinegary-sesame oil to add flavor. No soy sauce, no pickled ginger, no wasabi, just good ol' kimbap. One day, I will make my own and post it.

School today was also just really good (though I'm on break and still have two more classes to teach: 2a, my favorite and 3a, The Complainers). I spent a long time preparing really great lessons for these two upcoming classes and they better appreciate them, or else!

Mars did really well with math today and I think that they are starting to understand me a lot more. I think that in the past few weeks, Liam has really developed physically, socially, and academically. I tried to talk about it but no one else seemed to notice. Either way, I'm really proud of whatever little effect I may have had only teaching their class once a day.

In Pluto and Uranus, I got to read a Berenstain Bears book, which has to be one of my all-time favorite kids' series. They remind me of being little and also make me kind of want that silly, old-fashioned lifestyle. However, this book was a bit... behind in the times. It was very negative about getting "chubbier" in a way that I think would be really bad for a child's self image. It encouraged exercise and healthy eating habits, which I am by no means against, but it portrayed weight gain as just plain wrong. While I can't really talk about that to anyone here, it was good to have something to stimulate the socially-conscious part of myself. I'm thinking a lot more these days about not just what the media teaches children, but what stories geared toward them teach. How much, as educators, are we even aware of this? Do we spend too much time looking for the "moral" and trying to use them to supplement our curricula that we stop paying attention to underlying themes? Questions to ponder on this bright, thoughtful, finally-fall Monday.