Working with children on a regular basis is both infinitely rewarding and infinitely challenging. Having just finished a month of recreational instruction (specifically teaching children ages seven to twelve how to knit and crochet), there are a few things that I have observed and learned from my vivacious young students.
Firstly, kids know a lot more than adults seem to realize. They pick up on everything you say and do and they will ask you questions about anything. They are incredibly curious, intelligent, and willing to learn.
They can also be stubborn, reckless, and a little more chaotic than most adults tend their surroundings to be. But at the same time, they know when to stop. They know when enough is enough. They know not to ask me to play music containing swear words. When they want to learn something, they become engrossed in the process of learning- some of my worst-behaved children calmed down significantly once they finally decided that they wanted to learn something more challenging than a finger-crocheted chain.
One boy who always had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes was content to sit day after day finger-knitting a piece so long that by the end of the two-week session, he could wind it around the entire room. And with their hands occupied, their minds became free to chat freely with each other about their impressions of the world and what should be done differently.
Topics ranged wildly- from their favorite youtubers (mostly minecraft gamers) to their understanding of childbirth (the egg hatches inside the mommy and then it comes out) to their political views (all the ones who spoke up were vehemently anti-Trump). One group of children started holding mock trials while knitting and crocheting, and they had a surprising grasp of the rules of law- knowing the difference between the plaintiff and the defendant, arguments that would hold up in a custody battle, and suing people for damages to their "car" (a rolling desk chair).
It never ceases to amaze me how fixated children can become on a single song. During my second period class in my first session, I swear the only songs we listened to were "Fight Song" and assorted versions of "Paparazzi". Seriously, I didn't even know how many different instrumental covers there were until we had gone through the entire list. Two weeks, listening to almost nothing but "Paparazzi". I thought I would go crazy- but the students loved it, and in the end, that's all that really matters.
One of the girls is an avid ten-year-old seamstress who is opening up her own Etsy shop in September- having seen her handicraft on her own custom-made messenger bag, I am heavily inclined to make a purchase from her once it opens. In fact, many of the children I interacted with had fascinating interests. I can only imagine all of the places that their talents will eventually take them.
Since this was the third year that I have been an instructor at this particular recreation program, I had quite a few repeaters from previous years, and I have to say that seeing how much they've grown in the time that I've known them is one of the greatest rewards of this job. I've seen a shy seven-year-old blossom into a nine-year-old class leader, and had children from previous years bring me homemade snacks even though they were no longer registered for my class.
Admittedly, though I truly do love children, they drain me of most of my energy, and I have had to spend many afternoons napping in order to recover from the exertions of the morning. I don't think I would be able to spend an extended amount of time with this many children as a full-time job. But I do love my wacky little friends, and I am grateful for everything that they have taught me.
