Session 13: The Home Stretch

Perhaps the biggest compliment I have recevied in Manadoob is the fact that the children are often amazed by how quickly the class has gone.  Today, when they found out we only had one more day after this before we were done with the book and the workbook, they were so upset!  Part of this is a reflection of me as a teacher, and part of it is obviously a reflection of the amazing job that Manadoob does to engage children and keep them engaged even when there are weeks separating classes at and a continuous story that takes place over months.

Today we discussed belief in ourselves and why it is important to success in every part of our lives.  HJ pointed out that belief in yourself is about half of all of the effort you need to put into something.  We also discussed Wella learning to become more confident in her life and why that came about.  CS surprised me by tying it back to an earlier point about facing your fears.  All of the kids agreed that the Manadoob, Moobia Stones, and Yama Cruz contributed to Wella discovering her confidence, but only CS recognized that a big part of Wella's confidence came from the fact that she faced her fears and overcame them, giving her the courage and sense of self needed to grow.

After that we talked about patience and how valuable patience can be in our lives.  At that point I was down to two students, so it just got kind of goofy and fun and we joked about little brothers and how annoying they are.  We also talked about our lives and just kind of hung out.  RJ, who is normally pretty surly and taciturn, really opened up and had a number of positive interactions with CS over the last 20 minutes or so.  It really seems like Manadoob has become a high point of her week and her behaviour is exemplary when she is there, even though her behaviour outside has stayed pretty consistent.  It's too bad that it is going to end, but I think the lessons have really sunk in.

So Manadoob and the year are coming to an end, and the summer is about to begin.  I find myself very reflective, wondering if this will be my last Manadoob class and thinking back over the moments I have shared as a result of the program and the amazing children I have worked with.  One more day of class, one day with a pizza party and watching the video, and then our class is over.  It will be fun to talk to the kids about what they learned, but it feels a little bit like a family is breaking up.  I hope they feel that way as well and retain the connections they've made and the lessons they've learned.

Cheers All.

Ryan