Review

I have had a hard time writing this blog post.  This is the second or third time that I have started.  The previous time(s) I didn’t really like what I had written and then when I reread what I had written it wasn’t what I wanted.  Hopefully this time will be better.

I have been back from St Petersburg for about a week now.  I have gotten back to normal life, if you can say that.  We celebrated Christmas.  That was great!  On Christmas I was looking through my pictures from the last couple days in St Petersburg and I began to miss the kids incredibly much.  Emphasis on the word ‘began’.  As the other ILP teachers can attest to I didn’t seem all that attached to the kids when I was there.  At the spectacle, which was the culmination of the progress that the kids had made throughout the whole semester, everybody else was crying but I looked like normal.  Thinking back on my feelings at that time they were these.  The idea that I wasn’t going to be seeing these kids in a week hadn’t sunk in.  On the way back from one of the last times we taught I remember people were talking about how that is the last time they were going to teach the kids.  I guess I tried not to think about it.  I didn’t want it to happen.  So I waited until there was nothing that I could do about it, I waited until I had already left Russia, to think about how I would never see those kids again.

I do miss the little kids that I taught for nearly 4 months.  Some of them I taught 4 times a week and others I only taught twice a week.  Well, that was when they came.  It was kind of weird how there would be periods of time when some of the kids wouldn’t come.  Then after that break they would return as if nothing had happened without any explanation.  But what would the kid have said?  Teaching was kind of difficult and near the end it was getting harder and harder to think of things to do with the kids that they would enjoy and also speak English instead of Russian.  There was a big problem with that.  But once I saw the ending show it made it all worth it.  When Kostya showed up in his penguin costume that was legit it made me so happy.  Then to see Igor with his white tux made me proud also.  Then it was also sad to see little Nika, who sometimes excluded herself from the group and didn’t want to participate, with huge crocodile tears because she didn’t have any costume for spectacle.  But then I gave her some reindeer ears and she cheered up.  Spectacle was also great because we heard each one of the children say a short sentence like: “I have an orange beak.” “I pull Santa’s sleigh.” Or “I waddle like this:” It was precious.  Then after all the kids had said their lines and sang all the songs then they were released to go to their parents and get some cookies and juice at the back of the room.  Then after they got some cookies then they came back to find the teachers and, with the help of their parents, gave them gifts.  I was completely surprised by the gifts that were given.  These kids and their parents are so very gracious.  I received gifts of chocolate, calendars, mugs and bells.  It was hard to remember who gave which gift because I just wanted to give the little kid a hug and thank them for their present and for being in my class.

All of these were gifts.  Alina gave me the little bag.  Alla gave the nesting doll. Then I don't remember who gave me the mugs.

Then after the primary kids were all finished then the level kids came in.  They did their performances and they were pretty good.  Some were better than others.  But it was still a moment of pride to know that I helped to teach these kids some English.  Then again the same thing happened when the levels had finished performing.  The kids would find their teachers and thank them for teaching them and then also give a little gift.  It was incredibly nice and very thoughtful.

Level 2 taught by Ty

Level 3 taught by Sydney

Half of level 5 taught by Sydney

We were all very proud of the kids and how well they performed and how they had progressed this semester.  But what added the frosting to the cake was that Ludmilla, the school principal who did everything she could to make sure that spectacle went off well with costumes and organization, said that this spectacle was better than all the other spectacles.  That it was лучше всех “better than the rest.”