Stfn has been for three days in my group and so far I am happy with the way things are turning out although it is as vague as smelling a coffee from a ten mile distance.
The children as well as their parents have accepted her without any questions, without any curiosities. Even the two new children Mnt and Nn do not appear to have any great problems currently other than remaining firmly glued to Stfn but this was something they had always done. Stfn is nice and loving to all the children and trying to get a hang of the new group gradually. Unlike my previous perception, she appears to be a lot more active, energetic and eager to learn and follow. She also displays a far superior level of knowledge and experience in handling children than Cl had.
The older children who were previously in Stfn's group however are giving a slightly different reaction. They had been babies under her supervision about six months ago; they have started regarding Stfn as their teacher again and themselves as still the babies they had then been. Both Onm and Fd refused outright to obey my order/instructions which they had never done before! In fact Onm refused to hold my hand while walking to the playground outside. As he was walking really slowly and not in the line, I wanted him to hold my hand but he refused again and again and flinched from me repeatedly as if my touch was undesirable to him! I am so glad that over- spoilt, over- pampered, attention seeking Mrn left our group just one week ago because she had a really really terrible temperament. She used to get offended even if you happened to look at her squarely and then she would burst out crying totally inconsolable and refuse to look at you, obey you or even listen to you giving you ugly, defiant, hateful looks. With Stfn back as her teacher Mrn would have really enjoyed throwing her silly tantrums. Asy used to say that she has the temperament like that of old, crappy, cranky, irascible grandmothers!
The rest of the children have also been behaving a bit unsettled, over noisy, hyperactive and somewhat difficult to stay in control but that may not be due to Stfn/Cl factor but because of the two consecutive party days and plenty of fun and enjoyment in school. Maybe they will be okay in another two days.
As to Cl, I am shocked to notice that the parents as well as the children have chosen to forget her sooner than a waft of wind. With someone like Cl and with the services like she had rendered, I had imagined she would be very difficult to forget by parents and children alike; yet no parent talked to me about her, or requested me to convey his thanks to her for her farewell gift to children. They just grabbed the gift and walked away not wanting to waste another thought on a mere school teacher. Onm's mother came to pick up Onm and without exchanging a polite word with me about Cl who had gone out of her way to look after Onm on so many occasions just chatted away with Stfn and went away not even waving goodbye to me. Cl had often noticed this that Onm's mother behaved as though she admired and respected Stfn a great deal and every morning when she came to drop Onm she would talk only to her and rarely if ever to Cl. The same with Mrn's mother.
As to the two new children in my group, their parents just didn't bother even to look at me. It didn't occur to them to at least greet their child's new group teacher a polite 'Hello' or ask about any important information. They came, chatted away with Stfn for a good 7-10 minutes, collected their children and went away not wasting a single glance in my direction although I had been standing just two feet from Stfn. The other parents too just came, took their children and left. Frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting this. I had thought everyone would want to talk to me about Cl that they were sorry she left and wanted to thank her for her gift to their children....
None of the children asked me where Cl was. That little boy Jr who loved Cl so much that he only sat in her lap and only held her hand while walking in a line and always showed preference for her and her alone, has actually not even once asked me about her. He cried and wailed while entering the class as always and then was pretty fine sitting in my lap and in Stfn's lap. I now realize, he had actually never loved her; his preference for her was not love just habit or a decision which we all mistook to be affection. He now has no problem staying without her. He doesn't even remember her.
Children have very short memories and no concept of emotional affection. They are just needy for someone to fulfill their basic needs. This is one of the ugly faces of children...I have now discovered...!
Today I explained to Stfn how to make lesson plans and mail them.
The children as well as their parents have accepted her without any questions, without any curiosities. Even the two new children Mnt and Nn do not appear to have any great problems currently other than remaining firmly glued to Stfn but this was something they had always done. Stfn is nice and loving to all the children and trying to get a hang of the new group gradually. Unlike my previous perception, she appears to be a lot more active, energetic and eager to learn and follow. She also displays a far superior level of knowledge and experience in handling children than Cl had.
The older children who were previously in Stfn's group however are giving a slightly different reaction. They had been babies under her supervision about six months ago; they have started regarding Stfn as their teacher again and themselves as still the babies they had then been. Both Onm and Fd refused outright to obey my order/instructions which they had never done before! In fact Onm refused to hold my hand while walking to the playground outside. As he was walking really slowly and not in the line, I wanted him to hold my hand but he refused again and again and flinched from me repeatedly as if my touch was undesirable to him! I am so glad that over- spoilt, over- pampered, attention seeking Mrn left our group just one week ago because she had a really really terrible temperament. She used to get offended even if you happened to look at her squarely and then she would burst out crying totally inconsolable and refuse to look at you, obey you or even listen to you giving you ugly, defiant, hateful looks. With Stfn back as her teacher Mrn would have really enjoyed throwing her silly tantrums. Asy used to say that she has the temperament like that of old, crappy, cranky, irascible grandmothers!
The rest of the children have also been behaving a bit unsettled, over noisy, hyperactive and somewhat difficult to stay in control but that may not be due to Stfn/Cl factor but because of the two consecutive party days and plenty of fun and enjoyment in school. Maybe they will be okay in another two days.
As to Cl, I am shocked to notice that the parents as well as the children have chosen to forget her sooner than a waft of wind. With someone like Cl and with the services like she had rendered, I had imagined she would be very difficult to forget by parents and children alike; yet no parent talked to me about her, or requested me to convey his thanks to her for her farewell gift to children. They just grabbed the gift and walked away not wanting to waste another thought on a mere school teacher. Onm's mother came to pick up Onm and without exchanging a polite word with me about Cl who had gone out of her way to look after Onm on so many occasions just chatted away with Stfn and went away not even waving goodbye to me. Cl had often noticed this that Onm's mother behaved as though she admired and respected Stfn a great deal and every morning when she came to drop Onm she would talk only to her and rarely if ever to Cl. The same with Mrn's mother.
As to the two new children in my group, their parents just didn't bother even to look at me. It didn't occur to them to at least greet their child's new group teacher a polite 'Hello' or ask about any important information. They came, chatted away with Stfn for a good 7-10 minutes, collected their children and went away not wasting a single glance in my direction although I had been standing just two feet from Stfn. The other parents too just came, took their children and left. Frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting this. I had thought everyone would want to talk to me about Cl that they were sorry she left and wanted to thank her for her gift to their children....
None of the children asked me where Cl was. That little boy Jr who loved Cl so much that he only sat in her lap and only held her hand while walking in a line and always showed preference for her and her alone, has actually not even once asked me about her. He cried and wailed while entering the class as always and then was pretty fine sitting in my lap and in Stfn's lap. I now realize, he had actually never loved her; his preference for her was not love just habit or a decision which we all mistook to be affection. He now has no problem staying without her. He doesn't even remember her.
Children have very short memories and no concept of emotional affection. They are just needy for someone to fulfill their basic needs. This is one of the ugly faces of children...I have now discovered...!
Today I explained to Stfn how to make lesson plans and mail them.
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