by Apple Goodthree
How special it is to see a child smile.
Most of the kids in the school are homeless or have recently experienced it. One of the most precious people on the planet is a fourth grader named Angel.
The first thing I noticed about Angel is overwhelming extreme shyness. Or maybe it was simply quietness. She's healthy and not bashful about getting up to sharpen her pencil or get the books she needs but in conversation she is very timid. The words barely, ever so barely, come out of her mouth. I asked her what her name is. She had to repeat herself a few times until I understood it.
In observing the class, I noticed that she was behind on her multiplication tables. I knew I could help. I asked Angel, "what is two times two?" She looks straight ahead. I can subtly see her mind working. She was patient thinking. After many moments of pause, she every so quietly and gently said the answer sounding like a very young child pronouncing her r's "wrong". She said so barely as a question, "foa".
Once when she was in line for lunch with the other kids, I saw her smile and have a moment of silliness. This is a good thing. When I talked to her at lunch, she was reserved with short very quiet one-word answers. A week later, I worked again with her and another girl in the fourth grade. We worked in the times tables again in a separate classroom.
Angel was ahead of the other girl who had missed months of school. Still in 4th grade, each girl is well behind. We built, we practiced and we got better at multiplication. Still Angel was quiet. But she was getting it. She was building confidence. She knew it. I asked the girls what color the wall was. They both answered, "Yellow!" I said, you will be able to answer your times tables with the same quickness soon.
Yesterday I had a chance to practice with them again. Angel really moved ahead. Going through the 5's tables gains momentum and confidence. She was cookin'. The other girl has trouble adding. So, it's all practice. Repetition will make them stronger.
Also the connection with an adult that is supportive helps. Gym class was later. We were late because of our arithmetic session, so we walked out to gym. I stuck around as gym class in this school has no real organization in P.E, though there was a theme for today and it was volleyball. Long story short, I was volleying with another classmate. Angel (who usually sits by herself at recess) came over. I tossed the ball to her.
She might be the smallest girl in the class but she's tough. She has more coordination than she may have given herself credit for and was able to volley the ball. It was a confidence building because I had not seen her interact like this. She has a SMILE on her face for the whole gym class. She was having so much fun with the three other girls volleying. We spent the whole class volleying and retrieving our bad shots. Then she brought the volleyball to the basketball hoop and shot for a few minutes. When it was time to line up, I had a question about gathering the kids because the gym teacher was gone. Also, the classroom teacher was not there.
I am not much of a yeller, so I asked one of the louder fourth graders if they could help me gather up the 18 other students to line up for class. Well right on queue, Angel must have heard me make that request because she yelled and yelled loudly. She shouted different classmates names. MICHEALA! I paused, amazed. She then bellowed out, SALLY! It was amazing that this girl who had been so quiet was now expressing herself like this. It was a help to me. I had a good day.
How special it is to see a child smile... and express themselves!
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