Kids DO Care

A few days ago, I got sick. I was dizzy and I was having a terrible headache. My temperature was higher than usual. I had to go to work just the same because well… it’s my job. I regard each class as an appointment which I intend to keep come hell or high water. However,  I was not my usual jolly self and the students noticed it. I was bombarded with questions such as  “Teacher, are you okay?” “Teacher, are you sick?” “ Teacher, do you want to go home?” to which I politely answered, “Yes, I’m okay, don’t worry… “  No, I don’t want to go home, I can stay here. I just need to take a nap after each class, during our ten-minute break…”

One very little boy in particular was so concerned. He would ask me from time to time if I was indeed okay or not. During our class, he cooperated as much as he could while secretly glancing at me, checking if I was indeed alive and breathing. Ha ha ha!

I did not hear the  usual “Teacher, how many pages more before we finish?”,  “What time is it?”,   I'm sleepy, English is hard..:, "Has the bell sounded?” He did not fidget, he did not peek through the window. He just did what I told him to do, he just read what I asked him to read and he answered my comprehension questions as well as he could.

Ten minutes before the class ended, the student asked me, “Teacher, are you okay? If you are okay, I am also okay.  Are you happy? If you are happy, I am happy. Don’t worry about me. You can take a rest.”

Hm. Kids don’t always behave the way we want them to, but it doesn’t mean they are apathetic or insensitive. Kids have their own way of showing us adults that they care.

And this experience made me appreciate the innocence of kids even more.