Tuesday 8 November 2011

Art Class and the End (of it)

A bit overdue with the art class updates due to the failing of Google Chrome and perhaps my aging laptop itself. 
But here they are although I'm afraid they'll be last bit of colourful drawings that I will get in a long long time.

To cut long story short, I'm pulling her out of this art class as the last impression I had from the teacher was that she was more concerned about bragging at every opportunity about her own kids rather than her students. 
Oh yes, there are a lot of teacher of her kind and that is not what I envisioned education to be like.  Especially this type of subject that supposedly has to flourish under inspiration, it depends a lot on the teacher's ability to dig the child's own imagination.
Here's an example of the conversation that I had with that particular teacher/owner (T/O):

T/O: "Who?  [my kid's name]who's mother?"  <---my thoughts, hmm ok, my kid's been there for 6 months and if she needs her memory jog, that's worrisome.

Me: "I'm [my kid's name]'s mother who goes every Saturday morning?"

T/O: "Oh, yes, I gave her 3 warnings already by now."  <---we're talking about a 5 year old girl here, what warning???  She's a kid for heaven's sake, she needs loving care to pique her interest in art, not warning!

Me: "Oh, really?  What kind of warnings?"

T/O: "Well, she doesn't really bother the other kids in class, but she has problems in concentrating in finishing her drawings.  We only have 2 hours to finish each drawings." <---my thoughts, hmm, no explanation of what kind of warnings.  But I did not want to elaborate.

Me: "That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about today, I want to see how my kid is doing in class because I am concerned about her development after visiting a professional about it.  Say, do you know that my kid is a cousin of one of your student [his name]?"

T/O: "Oh, he's a bright kid, his drawings are always winning the competition."

Me: "How long has he been in your class, was he difficult in the beginning when he just entered?  How long did it take him to be as what he's like now?

T/O: "Oh I don't know, quite a while, he was as difficult as your kid, too.  I even had to exempt him from paying the tuition fee because his dad told me that he can't afford the tuition fee anymore." <---my thoughts, yes, I knew this beforehand and he still owes me millions up to this day, I don't need to hear it from the art teacher, it has nothing to do with me and I'm not paying for his past tuition fee just because we're related.  Not appropriate to say that to me, at all.

Me: "Right, but how long has he been with you in that class?"

T/O: "I'm not sure, a long time I guess, years and years and now he's primary 2, big boy."  <---my thoughts, really, if he's that outstanding (i.e. not paying and bright, that should covers both), she would've remembered.  Won't you?  I would.

Me: "I see.  Well, I'd like to see if my daughter can be move to a smaller class since there's been an observation that she was treated rudely by one of your assistant.  Is that possible?"

T/O: "Of course, just go into one of those classes not on Saturdays.  My kid used to need special care too because he's ADD, but now he's doing great at school, number one in his year and when he slips into number 7 that could make him go into one of his episodes and brought him just to the bottom of the emotional stairs and it's bad.  He used to find it really hard to concentrate especially at dictation and maths, oh it's not because he wasn't able to spell or remember, but it was just because of the distraction around him, e.g. his friend tapping the pencil, that kind of things.  If he has to spell "My mother went to the market this morning to buy vegetables", he'll be writing market vegetables in the morning instead because he was distracted.  He goes to therapy sessions and is doing really well now, look his IQ is 142 it's amazing isn't it?  Art is a good way to keep them concentrating."  <---my thoughts, and you have no comment on your student, i.e. my daughter???  Who's paying to be in your class?  Oh I could go on but I think with this kind of teacher, I better not because clearly she wasn't concerned about her students, just about her own brainy little kid.

Me: "Well, my daughter is not ADD, but anyway so she can come in say on Tuesday at 1pm?" <---my thoughts now, there's no point in talking to this teacher.  She's running a business, not inspiring students.

T/O: "Yeah, anytime beside Saturday would be better."

Me: "Ok then I'll choose Tuesdays class from now.  Thank you."

Enough said, her tone, did not reflect someone's tone who's concerned about their students at all.  But it is my daughter's life after all, eventhough she's only 5, I had to ask her about this whole thing.

Me: "How do you feel about art?  Drawing?  Colouring?  Do you like it?"

P: "Oh I like art, but only at home.  Not in art class."

Me: "Why is that?"

P: "The teacher always gets mad at me.  I ask her why are you angry at me, but she never says why."

Me: "But do you love art?  Drawing?  Colouring?  Do you want to do it if it was on different days there?  Not so many kids, you can get the teacher all to yourself."

P: "I like art but only at home."

She continues to draw on her pieces of papers, never looking at me straight in my eyes for the whole conversations and left me alone with my thoughts.  No more doubts, only determination that I've been given somebody special in my life, to care for and nurture the way that she needs to be nurtured.

I've been a teacher before, I've had teachers who inspired me, the best teacher one can ever have is probably their own mothers.  That's why there is a local saying that heaven is at your mother's sole.

I'm happier if she comes home with these drawings.