Aung San Suu Kyi
Oh how it rained incessantly today! Lyon was soggy like a bowl of cornflakes and somehow rain seems to make kids more excited and adults grumpier. My twenty three 7 year olds were definitely feeling zesty and wanted me to share in their rapture at our seasonal downpour. Needless to say that when you work in a school out in the sticks(ish) then snails, slugs, worms and other creepy crawlies become dear slimy friends. I took a deep breath, racked my brains and hey presto an afternoon of sublime art took place. We were feeling truly inspired by this book:
Enough of stuffy classrooms! And into the cold with rosy cheeks, hoods and mittens, my kids marvelled in ooh and ahhs at the colours of Autumn. An array of merlots, burgundies, carmens dazzled our eyes. We felt dizzy with glee at the sight of yellow golds and deep sunset oranges. By the time they had leaves coming out of their ears, we felt it was time to head back to the warmth of the classroom. And for a chatty class, I was feeling chuffed because at one point there was actually silence. Two hours of cutting, glueing and creativity ensued.
And this is when Aung San Suu Kyi's quote really inspires me in my everyday job. When I have a kid covered in PVA glue with leaves splattered all around their desk whilst their hands are stuck together, I cannot help but stifle an inner giggle. Although I should be sighing despondently when staring at a bunch of leaves and thinking what the heck is this? It just makes me want to laugh. "Hmmm" I say dramatically followed by an awkward scratching of the head and delve deep into my imagination "So er this is a great... a great... lion?" (I'm assuming the big round blob is a some sort of head and the squiggle is a tail). If the reaction is a pair of eyes lighting up, I know it's going to be ok. If the head sinks into a palm, I know I must muster all my diplomatic skills known to any NGO to get myself out of this mess. I have potentially damaged a child's self-confidence forever and unless I want the self-confidence police after me, I know I shall have to remedy this and quickly! That's where patience floats in. She's really good at turning up out of the blue.
Here are some of their chefs d'oeuvres and they are all rather chouettes:
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