Observations from the Kita, Part Duex

Ian has so many funny stories from the Kita, I thought it might be a nice recurring post. I started recording what he says about the class throughout the week to get the best of the best of the craziness.

Actually- let me first take a step back and explain more thoroughly what Ian does. He has talked about his work ever once in a while here, here, here, and here, but I still had no real concept of his job until I got to visit him a few times. He has 2 different teaching positions:

• As an English teacher that has 50 min classes in which he has a set curriculum. His classes are pretty young at 4 to 6 years old. he only has a few afternoon classes
• As a English teacher assisting Erzieherin (nursery teachers) at a Kita. This is basically taking care of children at a daycare, taking them outside, feeding them, brushing teeth, and singing songs. (Ask Ian "How to sing a Rainbow" - he loves that one). This is where he spends most of his day, with the same group of 3-year olds. He has become quite fond of them and they are where most of the stories come from.

One things for sure, those kids are ridic cute!

This week at the Kita...

One of the little boys has interesting parent names.
What's your mom's name?
Radieschen! (radish)
What's your dad name?
Radieschen!

Ian is a big & hairy dude. I could see him as a monster. So can, Heli, the new girl. She's terrified of him and starts crying when he talks to her.

Alec told Ian his mum calls him a drama queen. Or king. He wasn't sure.

Alec had left his toy car to play somewhere else, but was angry when someone else tried to play with the car. Ian tried to explain the rules of fairness. It seemed  Alec had understood, but then he said "I'm going to go push him!" and ran off to assault the other kid.

The rest of the teachers usually talk to Ian in German, but when Ian asked Susanne how she was doing, she replied in English
"Fucking tired."
Sounds about right for the lead teacher of a class of 3-year-olds.


I got another chance to visit as the recent acquisition of the bunny seemed a good reason to visit the school. Herr Schmidt probably thinks otherwise. Sorry Schmidty- to the Kita with you!

It might not have been Schmidty's best day, but the kids loved it (well- most of them. When Ian asked if Alec if he liked the bunny he almost imperceptibly shook his head "no"). They tried to keep the kids in a circle, but Mila attacked the rabbit with pets to the head. She kept trying to drag him to her with Schmidty's eyes emitting total terror. Silly rabbit, terrified of kids. Maybe he's onto something, kids are a little scary.

Not 1, but 2 nose picks in this pic

gauntlet

I bet the ride home was a lot less terrifying after the horrors of the Kita for Schmidty

How Ian feels after a day with the kids

For last week at the Kita, click here.