So my friend Katy gave me some alphabet stamps just before she left. So one day I needed some inspiration as to what to do with class 1 (I am not a born first grade teacher) so I made up a lesson with some of the stamps. First each student would get one stamp and stamp it on their paper. Then they would each get one crayon (different colors) and also write their letter on the paper. Next they would trade their papers and write each letter at least once. Not too tough and they will get to use the stamps and write all the letters (well A to F). So they started and were pretty good until we got to the trading part. I had kids that didn’t know what to do so just stood still, some traded with one person and thought they were done, some traded crayons and wrote their letter again. Also no matter what paper ‘Oueni (the short boy with his paper upside down) had I had to watch him to make sure he didn’t fill the whole thing front and back. He is an ambitions one. So I basically ended up doing all the trading and explaining in broken Tongan what I was doing and the kids wrote the letters. What a scramble, but we did it and I got the picture.

Then class was over and I thought I would analyze what went well and more forward in my mind what didn’t go well. First off they are only in class one, they don’t speak English (well some can say good morning, and one can say both, how are you and, I am fine, but she doesn’t know what they mean) I don’t really speak Tongan although I am getting better. Therefore I can’t explain well enough what we are doing and the kids get bored or confused, not because the don’t want to follow directions, but because we can’t communicate fully. Well in the end it wasn’t a total disaster, but it was just ok. I won’t try that with any other class 1 students…

Until the next day when Lopa, the class 1 teacher came to me raving about the wonderful lesson (she must not have seen the chaos). Apparently the students took their papers back to class and all showed her. Their faces plastered with smiles as they went on and on about what they learned from the Palangi and how they know how to write like a Palangi. They were so happy! And they love to learn! And they actually learned from me! So we have done alphabet stamps again, but with less paper trading this time.