I won’t pretend that I didn’t know teaching would be both physically and emotionally draining—not after watching my mom spend most of her time at school—but I finally got to experience it firsthand this week. I began work as an English kindergarten teacher, and am working alongside a Czech teacher. She speaks to the children in Czech, and I speak to them in only English, so that they can learn both languages. It breaks my heart when the Czech-only children look at me with confused eyes and an unanswered question—I wish I could speak with them too.
We communicate with plenty of gestures and drawings, but there’s no better feeling than having a student randomly come up to you and repeat a word you taught them the day before. One of my students ran over with a photo of a kitty and said, “Cat! He says ‘Meow!’” These small moments making the tiring work a little better.
Young children are so willing to share their love and make you feel as if you’ve known them for years, and not just a few days. I’ve been observing Czech children since coming here, and it’s nice to see them entertain themselves on the metro with coloring books and puzzles, and not just with their parent’s cellphone. That is not to say I haven’t struggled with a few children, particularly some who use my lack of Czech to their advantage. But a stern glare is understood in every language, as is a hug.
Czech Me Out 