Designing Lorri

This morning I had a grand total of only 2 classes occupied by two girls who take my classes weekly. Everything went normally for my first class, but then IT issues abounded in the second–my girl named Candy. Now, I feel fully confident that you will not be able to find my particular student if I use her name because it already is not her real name, and there are a thousand other Candy’s in VIPKid–so please don’t attack me for sharing.

Before class began I could hear an adult yelling and my student muttering. As class grew closer but our cameras remained closed, I could her her speaking in English, “I am angry today. Teacher, I am ANGRY.” Her voice was harsher than I’d ever heard before. But at 10 seconds to class start, I opened the cameras and her face lit up to it cheerful form. I asked her “Candy, how are you?” and she said “I’m fine, teacher, and how are you?”

To make things worse for me, after hearing her practice her English angry voice, the PC App failed us on both ends and I had to switch to my iPad as a back up.

Class ran smoothly after that. She seemed genuinely happy to learn the word “hobby” and how to talk about things she enjoys doing. We both like to draw and to build with legos, so it is sweet to share these interests with her.

At the end of class during our typical good-byes and review I said, “see you next time!” and was ready to exit. It was then that I heard her call to me. “Wait teacher! I want excellent!” I immediately knew she was referring to the little stickers from the PC app, but those aren’t a thing on the iPad. At Level 4 she understands “There are no stickers on the iPad for me to send,” so she settled for my finger-written word. We draw hearts to each throughout class anyway, but this big heart she drew made my heart happy. I hope she knows that no matter what, she IS excellent to me. She IS fearfully and wonderfully made. No grade, class placement, or language barrier will change that.