Today was an amazing day at my practicum. All of the days are wonderful partly because I imagine how I might have fun each day and then I pursue it. For instance, I imagined it would be fun to play psuedo-soccer with one of the toddlers and found that it was in fact enjoyable despite my experience as a young child playing ball and finding myself wanting because I had poor aim. Now I can't do tricks like some of the more coordinated staff, but I did manage to bounce the ball off the side of my legs and my calf (each time missing the knee), and side to side between my feet, before kicking it successfully over to my young friend (the toddler); he giggled at my antics and it seemed we were both enjoying just horsing around, seeing what would happen next. In fact, he was having so much fun being goofy that he would double over as he laughed.
There were many other fun highlights to my day.
A group of girls in the after school progam learned that I shared the same first name as one of them; I was told in both English and Danish that my first name must be `"butt" because there was no way we could both share the same last name. Now while what they said wasn´t kind there was no sincerity behind what they said. In fact, soon they were pulling me to the after school room to play cards with them. Through an adult sitting there I managed to translate that I had to continue my work in the early child program. Later when I wasn't being kept busy I joined them in creating and decorating their own restaurant; they asked me to help them with their ideas ,and I even added in a few of my own (e.g. covering the unused stairs of the loft in a red blanket and placing a pillow to create an ambiance).
Before the restaurant I enjoyed snack time with some of the younger children (three year olds on their way to turning four). We had a couple of mini conversations and I was proud of myself. We talked about what we liked to draw, our birthdays, our ages, and because they knew I don´t speak Danish they also tried to teach me some words (it´s amazing originally only the older kids could remember and accommodate my baby Danish. now the younger kids have caught on either because they are maturing quickly or because they are used to me). The conversations were rudimentary and reminded me of show and tell---i asked a question and eacjh of the girls would respond using the same grammar structure as myself (but providing a different answer) one after another.
I was invited to my coworkers house to go out and to meet up at her house for some drinks beforehand. Although I am not the biggest drinker I consider it a cultural expereince to go out with Danes, and I am realyl looking forward to it. I was also touched because my coworker had mentioned in the past that we might go out together at some point, but she didn´t say anything further which made me think that it was a possibility, not an offer. Later I learned that it probably was an offer, because altbhough Danes are blunt they are very organzed always having their planners out (it may be a stereotype Danes have about Danes). Anyway, I though I had missed and opportunity, and am glad to learn that I hadn´t.
Something sad today. I have been getting to know the names of four and five year olds who i spend the most time with, yet now they are graduating into regular school at the end of next week. I was invited to their graduation program and got to help them make badges today as part of their Friday graduation ceremony. I have classes which conflict with the time of the program, but hopefully my teachers will be okay with me going and catch up with work later as I think it would be a very enriching experience to see how the children begin to handle their transition (while most of the kids seem very excited about their badges I don´t know if they truly realize that graudation will mean separation into different schools).
Other lessons today;
1) children each have their own ways about them and soem behaviors may be unusal for some children, while perfectly normal for others. (they are multifaceted like adults and if they expereince all of these emotions it is because they have had good nurturing opportunities). e.g. One girl is quiet and will nod, never talk. She also puts on her snowsut by herself. She rarely plays with other children, although she will allow them to share the swing with her. She rarely smiles, and I had to search for her smile while I was pushing her on the swing to find it---Although I already knew that children differ and aren´t all overspoken or shy and self-conscious (this girl just doesn´t feel the need to be particularly expressive or social), certain lessons need to be relearned (at least in my case) because my internal definition of childhood tends to consist of happy, loud children.
Lessons unrelated to my practicum:
1)It is not uncommon to shower every other day (instead of every day) to save money in Denmark
2) Danes love Rome as much as the next
3) Romkugler ( a dessert I had tried here) is made of rum, some sort of grains, sugar (and I forget the rest of hte ingredietns but I swear someone taught me the recipe today)!
NOw I´m off to do some homework before I get dinner then go to my field study at a youth club today (kind of like an afterschool program held at night)
Vi ses! (see you)
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