I had a fine day today. I met an entire new group at the Library. The kids who were there were funny, bad, and friendly at the same time. Like the  little 3-year-old who was making everyone laugh and when she saw that we all thought she was funny she started cursing! It was so surprising. I put her on “time out” and I don’t  know if she understood. All she wanted to do was play “house’ and be the baby.

Later on, I went to the Chinese store to eat and practice spanish with some of the spanish kids in the neighborhood.  I was glad that their parents let them come with me, after all everything was on the same block. I was just a little surprised at the freedom they got. At the Chinese Store we met two Chinese girls. We all had fun learning spanish together.  Maybe it has something to do with living in the city. I left them when it was dark and they wanted to stay longer!

What I enjoy the most is the culture of the children and of the neighborhood. It’s like a little world once you become very active in it. I’ve lived in this neighborhood so long and only now am I becoming active. I used to only know the man in the Bodega but now I know so many people because the children parents are the ones who are running the neighborhood. The African children I work with parents run the hair salon down the block and are also the same ones driving the taxis, the Spanish children parents run the bodaga’s and the Chinese children parents run the Chinese store.  The little girl who remind me of myself, grandfather is the super in the building I live in. I didn’t meet her until I started working at the library and we live in the same building. I also know the librarians and the security guard. I  know a teacher in the school that most of the students attend, we met at Fordham. This world is so small. And Bright.

My America is bright.

Bright with children playing day and night

Bright with parents who care about the neighborhood and its plight

Bright with young kids who see no limit

Bright with librarians who teach children discipline

Who ever said that a village doesn’t raise a child anymore?

In my Bright America, the Pizza guy tells the children how to say thank you.

The old gentleman sweeping the corner offers a kind “Good day to you”

The grocery store keeper offers to help you with your bags 

And the young Jehovah witness offers a strong “God Bless You!”

The family walking from church gains courage to ask you

 what will Jesus Do In this Bright America?

Today my students were really excited about the up coming  Thanksgiving break.  They can’t wait to leave school for only 4 days! It is a wonder I got  to finish The Night of the Living Dummy III (a Goosebumps series) with Joseph, taught Francesca a new word: Penguin, made Kizzy practice her multiplication tables and Lindsay did a little bit of her homework. I also did a little reading with Frankie and Estie. So it was nice. One thing that made my day was the students willingness to listen to me. I didn’t have any problems with them. Well, not including the prep talk I had to have with them to encouarge them to do their homework,  I also met a new parent!!  Who recognized me! She knew the church I went to and everything. It was not that surprising because after all, we do all live in the same neighborhood.

On Monday one of my dearest students gave me a picture she made out of glitter glue of a Pink Butterfly. She pointed to the middle of the picture and told me those were the butterfly’s bones. I felt so loved!

Another one of my angles on the same day picked out a book to read with me titled:  Butterfly Battles by Nancy White from the Magic School Bus series. So, now I am reading about butterflies. I guess this week is butterfly week!

“Caterpillars came from everywhere. Everywhere was caterpillars. One day they just piped up and left”  Deacon Glassgow

Did you know that Butterflies have 4 wings and not 2?

Did you know that orange and black are warning colors in nature?

Therefore, animals stay away from Monarch butterflies.

When I am with the children, funny things happen all the time.

Like one time I was helping Janisha with her homework and she was doing pretty well. She was well-behaved and answering all the questions correct until her little brother came over and demanded a lot more of my attention. Then all of sudden she kept forgetting her answers and started huffing and puffing for no reason. So I asked her, why are you huffing and puffing like that? Your brother is here so now you are extra crazy right? And her bother said: Are you a wolf? Even Janisha couldn’t keep her laugh in.

Or like today when I told David and Joseph about the wallets that the library give to children who have library cards. The got excited and went to the desk to ask for one. Unfortunately, the librarian didn’t know what they were talking about and said: Wallets? There are no wallets here. Go up the block on Tremont to one of the 99Cent stores…. It was only a matter of time before I had to get up to explain.

Yesterday, a boy in the 6th grade was playing with a finger skateboard while everyone else were either reading or doing their homework. He was all over the floor, and up the walls, on the book shelves, on the tables just everywhere with this toy. It was so annoying and distracting. He kept playing until everyone just stop what they were doing and looked at him. This big boy playing like this. I told everyone to just watch. And he didn’t even notice. I said to him- Look at yourself. Everyone is doing something productive- reading and writing while you are playing with your fingers. What’s wrong with you. He just stopped. Hopefully he’ll come with his homework one day cause the same big boy came with his tiny toy today and was doing the same exact thing!