How I wound love to live in this moment for ever. This beautiful feeling of happiness I can feel circling my mind and flowing through to my heart – passing through my blood stream.
This past week has been a challenge. In fact, the last five months have been a challenge. I began working as a swimming teacher and my life has changed immensely. This week particularly I have felt as if this job is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I’ve been brought to tears, got more kicks in the crotch and boob grabs than your usual job, been tested to my limits, and through all of it I feel so incredibly fortunate. What makes my job is seeing children faces turn from concern or distress to cheerfulness. The smiles of my kids are playing through my mind as we laugh together and it makes me happy. It really does. This is what makes me happy.
I look back on where I began with such little knowledge, and I see myself now – the incredible progress I have made, and my will to continue learning. I am proud of myself. I am so proud. In this moment nothing could make me happier. Right now I know that my hard efforts have paid off and will continue to if I keep working hard.
To summarise briefly, I have been working with 8 classes of students each Saturday morning for 2 terms. And the students who I’ve been with have really grown on me and I feel that they’ve become fond of me. I feel this through the disciplinary aspect of my class. I have many students who listen to me and love to participate in activities with me. In fact, today I worked with a student I had never met before who was in tears when we met. I smiled and introduced myself, and instantly she smiled back and was hardly reluctant to get in the water with me. Her mum was concerned for her which I could see on her expression. I had a fun class with her, sang songs and played games; she really loved being in the water with me. Each time I looked up her mum had a ginormous smile across her face and a look of relief in her eyes. Nevertheless, I arrived at work last week to find out I would no longer have these 8 classes on a Saturday as I’m training in a new program. Breaking this news to some of the kids was harder to say than I thought it would be. A new teacher took my classes and I instructed her on the attitudes and strengths of my students.
I arrived at work this morning at 730am and my deck supervisor had informed me that my first class of students were not happy with the new teacher and that they wanted me back. She said they loved how I worked with their kids, and both kids and parents had become attached to me. Hearing this filled me with little sadness, however I also finally felt like I was doing something right. For so long I spent wondering if I was a good teacher, and it’s not really a question one can ever answer – but this made me feel that little bit more confident that I was truly a part of someone’s life and that I had made a positive difference for them.
Other positive influences this week included one of my dearest students. Her parents are so precious and I absolutely adore their family. I spoke to my student’s mum mentioning that I wouldn’t be returning to the class, she was upset by the news but excited about my new opportunity elsewhere in the pool. I mentioned that her new teacher was nice, and she replied “they’re all very nice, but you are very special to Ella”. Beautifully, beautifully heart warming.
Other delights included a mum whose baby I was working with. I’m only new to baby teaching and she has been lovely. She is open to her child having a relationship with me and she’s comfortable with me around. A few days ago I said hello to her baby and she said to him, “you like Julia, don’t you?” Adorable boy. Similarly I had a child around 2 on Friday morning who usually hated jumps. But when I was helping he would have a turn. His mum turned to me and said “usually he dislikes these a whole lot but he’s doing them, I think it’s because you’re here”. On the same day a very shy girl who took a long time to speak to her old teacher started smiling and playing with me. This I was surprised by as I’d been told she wasn’t too eager on new people, but it is such a lovely feeling when shy children are comfortable with you.
My final anecdote is of a father and baby who has been in the class I’ve been training in for 2 months. He’s been there each week and I find that most parents are wary of me because
I’m a) young and b) new. However this father was the total opposite. Each week he’d ask how my progress was going and would encourage me to run the class. He’s sit with me and talk about teaching kids. A truly supportive father which is really beautiful to see.
All these different things make me happy. They stick in my mind and remind me of how far I have come and, excitingly, how far I have to go.
The journey ahead may be tricky but I can do it. Always remember, you can do hard things.
liripip 