Almost done...

Tomorrow is my last day at Kleinberg and then the next day (Saturday) is my last full day in South Africa. It is such a strange feeling knowing not knowing when I'll be back.  It is just so FAR and so expensive to fly here.  I do want to come back one day though.  It is just so strange not having any idea how far in the future that may be.  Anyway, tomorrow, I'm going to give out certificates and little notes to the kids I've been tutoring in reading and also give a whole bunch of pencils to the kids in the first grade class I've been in.  There is a serious shortage of even the basic supplies at this school and I actually plan on trying to organize some fundraisers back home to help out with that, but for now, pencils it is.  Tomorrow will be the last time I hear their little morning prayer that they do and that I can't help but to have memorized- "Help us to do the things we should, to be to others kind and good, in all we do, in work or play, to grow more loving every day, Amen."  It is cute, especially with the accents.  I like it because it basically sums up how people should try to live their lives.  I will also have to prepare myself for a massive group hug.  People around here love to hug and it is just magnified in the kind of unconditional love environment of a primary school.  I've definitely been through ups, as well as downs at Kleinberg.  One of the downs was the day I was asked to watch the class for the whole day with another volunteer.  It was pure chaos.  Yelling, screaming, kids rolling around on the floor fighting.  Absolutely bonkers, but hey, that is how we all act when there is a substitute.  Still, it made me realize how assertive you have to be to be a teacher.  You really do have to call them out when they are doing something disrespectful when you are talking or else it turns into a zoo fast.  However, you really need to understand that the student's home situations are likely to be a huge cause of their chaotic behavior.  The teacher told me today that one of the more difficult girls lives in a small house with more family members that she can count and the reason she hits other kids all the time is because she is so used to constant fighting and hitting as means of solving conflict that she thinks it is normal in every situation.  When you hear things like that, you can't help but be more patient with the kids.  Furthermore, you also have to be endlessly creative to capture and hold the attention of a classroom full of students, especially 6-year-olds because if you change things up all the time, the kids stay engaged and aren't tempted to act up in the first place.  I have so much more respect for all of my past teachers.  However, (here comes one of the ups) it is hard to stay angry at the kids when they do spontaneous cute things, like a few days ago, when one of the really quiet little boys called me over to his desk in the middle of class.  His voice is so small that you have to tilt your head so your ear is facing him.  Plus, he mumbles, which cranks up the cute factor.  Anyway, so he called me over and said something along the lines of, "I'm gonna miss you when you go back to where you live."  SO sweet.  I thought he was just going to ask a question!  Yep, tomorrow could be rough!  I also can't wait to see the finished mural that one of the other volunteers has singlehandedly organized.  The mural is of the "Big 5" animals I mentioned in a previous blog- elephant, lion, rhino, water buffalo, and leopard.  It is a huge splash of bright colors and patterns.  I painted a square today and came home with pink hands.  Such a cool idea!