Yikes! I’ve been updating this blog less frequently, pretty much because I’ve been working for a couple of months now and the almost hour long commute has been zapping my energy out that I just faint on the bed by the time I reach home.
In case you’re wondering where this picture originated from …
And here’s what I’ve been up to … *drum rolls* I’m now a nursery English Teacher.
Haha, what a choice huh?
To be honest, prior to living in Rome, I thought that it was kind of like a step down (if you know what I mean) having paper qualifications and years of teaching experience in a Secondary school and then now I teach mainly 3 – 5 year olds.
But then again, I do enjoy it for most part as I love kids. And how can you not just melt when you see cute and adorable children with those big eyes and thick lashes and those rosy cheeks, that you can’t help to pick them up to cuddle them. And they seem to have a sense of curiosity around them, chattering about in their little voices, “Teacher! Lo sai che bla bla bla?”
So sometimes I think I’m really lucky. I get to play with kids, masquerading as an English teacher.
Don’t get me wrong though, while it’s fun, it’s also hard work as keeping them focused is very challenging. And sometimes they tend to fight with each other and then obviously they cry. Can you imagine how chaotic a room of crying children is? More even so that, because I’m not that fluent in Italian, trying to explain certain things (like why you should be kind with others) is very challenging. I’ve learnt to be extremely patient and calm.
Sometimes I wish I could somehow reverse time back to when I first started teaching in Singapore, and changed my psychology. Rather than being easily annoyed, being patient would have rendered me a more effective educator.
So all in all, I’ve learnt not to look down or think that I’m downgrading myself. After all, if I enjoy what I’m doing, it’s not so bad isn’t it?
Moreover, it pays quite well enough for me to to buy nice crap for myself every now and then rather than having to depend on Cart all the time.
My nice new charm bracelet I bought with my own money!
And who knows in the future, I could even save up and afford to buy on my own, a new scooter or even a car!
And that made me realize quite recently on how autonomous that I finally am becoming – after living here in Rome for some years, I’ve gotten a driver’s license, my own vehicle, I can speak basic Italian, and now that I’ve finally have my own banking account I actually feel like I’m quite up to the same level as I was in Singapore. My independence.
Guess it’s just a matter of time that everything fits in.
Woaaah! Though to me, I think that’s a step UP cause it’s more challenging to teach younglings like that while making sure they’re okay and not wandering elsewhere and whatnot.
Urgh. They are like a ball energy, just bouncing across here and there. It’s really challenging. But when they have fun, I have fun too. It’s infectious 🙂
Glad tolong hear that you are doing well for yourself:)
Thank you, thank you 🙂