Bye Bye, Teacher Audrey

Hah! Finally, my job at Kumon is over! I can concentrate on my studies and my life. It's kind of sad too because I'm going to miss my students there. Some of them are rotten little things while some are quiet little darlings. However, when it comes down to everything in the end, they're kids and cute ones too. I was once little demons like them too. We all were. 

I only told a few students that today was my last day. I told Leanne, one of my favourite students. She's just Standard 3 but she can read as well as a Form 1 student.

Me: Today's my last day here la...(smile)

Leanne: (smile back)

-After a few minutes-

Leanne: Teacher, you serious wan ah?

Me: Of course la

Leanne: Really wan ah? I go ask Teacher Ila wan ah...

Me: Go ask la.

Leanne: Yerr...don't go la.

-After asking Kak Ila-

Leanne: You stop because your results not so good is it? (In Chinese)

Me: Hah? Speak in English la..I don't undestand. My Mandarin not so good.

-After searching my very limited Mandarin database-

Me: Oh..you mean my results go down is it? No la...I just cannot cope only, very tiring. Want to concentrate more on studies.

After that, she went to play and when I was cutting manila cards to label the students' folders, she came and 'help' me. I was reluctant to let her cut at first because a clever kid is still a kid. My guess was right because when I did let her help me, she ruined a perfectly fine sheet of manila card. Coupled with the 'help' I got from Syahid (this cute kid that I found out was Syafiqah's brother), I got all the 'help' I want. He literally used the manila cards as nunchucks. Crumpled my nice manila cards which he will later use for his folder anyway. 

I have this other really naughty student, Dwayne. Who comunicated with body language and single syllable words like "Yes" and "No" Today, as if trying to irritate me on my last day, he was extra rebellious. The sentence he was supposed to read was "A funny clown" and it became "A clown with red nose on his face" Okay la...not that bad...until it got to the part where he said, "....and the dog go pee on his face" I just had to hit his head with the paper. Luckily the other teachers didn't see that or I'll be sued for child abuse. 

Me: Today my last day, you layan me so bad. I'm not going to see you anymore.

Dwayne: (his specialty, just sit there and laugh like an idiot)

I wonder if he will think he made me give up my job when he don't see me anymore after today. Learned a lot from my first job, especially from the children. Would never regret taking up this job, although I sometimes think I'm underpaid for all the hard work. Teaching is not easy, especially with little kids. It's like you suddenly gave birth to dozens of kids and they all want something from you. However, like Kexin said, "WE ARE FREE PEOPLE!!!" Okay la...I'm not entirely free, if you define free as having no relations with Kumon at all. My boss at the end of today said, "We'll still see each other la...if I have any emergencies, I can still call you to come in, right?" At first I thought she was joking, but she wasn't smiling, at all. I don't mind coming in sometimes to see the children la...but I'm definitely not working for her if it's not an emergency.