The wonder of wonder

So I was reading James and The Giant Peach to the kids in the Grade four class, as I have been for over a week now.  I think they really enjoy it now, even if, at first, they just seemed to just not understand much at all. 

Today I had a bit of a breakthrough.  So I had them start their own picture version of James and the Giant Peach.  Eventually, I'd really like to see them be able to create some sort of story of their own, maybe even in pictures.  I just want them to use their imagination :) So, I've been emphasizing Roald Dahl's vivid descriptions, especially the use of a simile.  Today, I took a look at some of their drawings and I realized that they actually understood the story. And they enjoy it.  I explain the little jokes, English expressions and sometimes even make lame jokes of my own on the way, and I really think it's 100% worth it.  

As many of you may already know about me, I sometimes like to take my time to (pardon the cliche) stop and smell the roses.  Well, I got an unexpected lesson from James and the Giant Peach's friend the Old Green Grasshopper.  

"My dear young fellow," he said gently, "there are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that you haven't started wondering about yet.  Where, for example, do you think that I keep my ears?"

"Your ears? Why, in your head of course."

The grasshopper continues to say that he hears, in fact, from his stomach.  I never knew that.  What a curious concept!  Earlier in the story, there was  a part where the creatures we really excited about all the things they might see in an imaginary world.  The kids were participating when I called on them, but most of them gave me examples of mass amounts of their favourite food.  They would LOVE Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... but I love the theme that "A little magic can take you a long way," and this book does it exceptionally well, of course.

So I feel good.  I've done something for them already and it's only going to get better!  Hopefully I can get more creative about something else since lately I've been coming up with everything on the spot. (I've actually impressed myself a great deal with this much.)  

Next week, our group is off to Elder's Camp for the whole week. So we'll be there every day 9-5 type thing, doing traditional native activities (this is to replace the billeting portion of the program that usually exists but was eliminated in Chisasibi for many reasons.)  

The only thing is, I'm not going to be at school that week :(  I'm actually really going to miss them.  I was off one day when I was ill, and I actually missed them so much! I asked them if they missed me and I was surprised when they all wholeheartedly said "yes."  I think they care more about their education than many may think.  They're only harder to discipline because that's what they know.  I love these kids.  

I love my job here.

I really do love Chisasibi.