Of Stories and Friends: Shy Mary Fey No More
Story by RANI
Written by Jennifer Dioneda
Ring! Ring! Ring!
That signals the start of my students' break. I can see how their faces turned from blank faces to excited ones.
"And so, I understand from the look on your faces that you aren't with me anymore, but with our favorite lady in the canteen as well as the food hiding in your bags..."
I haven't even finished my words, when all of them chorused a resounding, "Yes!!!". So I smiled at my kids, whom I have come to love as my own, and let them have their much-awaited break.
I stayed at my place and also took the food my dear mother had prepared for me and watch how the kids go to their friends. Of course, we are already in the middle of the school year. The kids have already formed their circle of friends.
I heard the door of my classroom open. A sudden silence fell upon us as if an angel passed by and blessed us all with her heavenly presence.
"Hi Ms. Encarnacion, the principal is looking for you. She asked me to tell you to drop by her office before the lunch break ends."
What could the reason be? Did one of my students get into another fight at the canteen? Or maybe, another parent complained about the grade of her child? I pondered quietly, as I tread from corridor to corridor.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Good morning, Ma'am!"
"Come in, Ms. Encarnacion." There was a parent and a student sitting in front of her. The mother of the child offered a warm smile. "You have a new student." His mother urged the child to speak and greet me.
"Mary Fey, say hi to your new teacher." Fey remained quiet, her head down and eyes trained on the floor. "Sorry, Ma'am. My daughter is extremely shy. She has been bullied a lot at school and so she doesn't talk much."
"I understand, Miss." From my peripheral vision, I can see the child slightly tilt her head and sneak a glance at me. I acted as if I didn't see her do such a thing and continued to talk with her mother.
-----------------------------------------
A week passed and Mary Fey still kept to herself. According to the president of the class, their classmates refused to befriend the new kid. I tried so many ways to make her get along with the rest of the kids, but to no avail, she remained a loner.
I hope today would be a different day.
I led the kids to the library. As we enter, they were amazed at how big it was and screamed with delight as they saw the many books that lined the walls. I asked them to form a big circle. It took a little while to make them calm down and finally sit still, but I managed to do so. I pat myself on the back and grinned at them as I sat on the floor with them. I took the book out and read it aloud, with different voices and fun sound effects. The kids were laughing at the different expressions I used to tell the story.
My eyes wandered, drinking in the sight of my kids so immersed in my every word, and almost passed one whose eyes reflected the same wonder and amazement as the other kids. She laughed and cried bloody murder when I acted as if I was the killer about to pounce on them.
"Did you enjoy the story?" I asked them, but my eyes remained on the shy girl who never looked me in the eyes during my classes. All of them echoed their happiness at how the story ended and excitedly tell me what they would do if they were in the same situation. When I told them that our time in the library was almost up, they looked almost sad to leave, only the thought of home and their parents waiting for them, wiped away the sadness of leaving such a wonderful place. "Okay, now I want you to stand in line outside the library and wait for me."
I thought all of them had already gone out. As I was thanking the librarian for accommodating us, I felt someone tug at my dress. My eyes darted downwards and saw Fey, the new kid in my class.
"Yes, dear?" She pointed out one part of the wall where the picture books are located. "Do you want to borrow a book?" She nodded shyly. I turned my gaze to the librarian, who nodded her consent.
Fey jumped for joy and run towards the books to pick one and put it in her bag. I held her hand as we joined the rest of her classmates outside and met their parents.
From then on, every end of the class, Fey would ask me to come to the library to pick a new book. At first, I would ask her about the story and she would only answer a short 'yes' and 'no'. Then, the yes-no answers became phrases and now full sentences.
I watched her change from the shy kid who couldn't even look me in the eye to a kid who loved stories and visions of places she reads about transformed into a chatterbox.
I was floating on air seeing her improvement. However, she was only like this when we are alone. So I thought of an idea.
-------------------------------------------
It's our reading day again at the library. As usual, the kids were pleased as punch to hear that we are going to be listening to a new story. I made sure that everyone is already settled and made Fey sit at my designated spot. I took the book she told me she loved the most from the shelf.
"Good morning, kids! Are you excited to hear our story for today?"
"Yes!"
"Alright! Well, today, I won't be the storyteller. Do you want to know who our storyteller is?"
"Yes!"
"Mary Fey...." All their eyes turned to Fey and I saw how she sat still and looked at me with a panic-stricken face. I could read the expression on her face quite clearly. Betrayal. "love this book a lot. And I think, you kids, would also love it as much as she did. So do you want her to read the story to you?"
"Yes!"
I sat beside her and gave her an assuring and encouraging smile. I urged her to take the book from me. She hesitantly did so and faced her classmates. She started reading the book at a slow pace, never once looking up from it.
"And then?" one of the kids, whose name is Samuel, asked. "What happened next????"
Mary Fay stared at the kid. "What?"
"Well, what happened next?" The question was genuine and full of wonder. The other kids were also hanging on Fey's every word.
"He was able to hold on to a tree branch."
"Really? Wow! I thought he would die!" Samuel exclaimed.
"I thought so, too, at first!"
The kids bombarded her with lots of questions which she answered timidly at first. But, when she saw how truly excited and interested her classmates were about her story, she started opening up, telling the story the way she does with me.
I watch as the kids stare at her with faces full of awe. They asked her about other stories she has read aside from the one she was holding. Fey gladly told them about all those other stories. We didn't even realize that it's almost time to go home. Their parents are already outside, waiting. So I told them that they can ask more about the other stories Fey know the next day.
I made them line up and greet their parents outside. I was looking for my star of the day but she has already gone out.
------------------------------------------
The next day, as I enter my class, I noticed how the kids are sitting in a circle around Fey. She was telling them another story she has read, so I didn't disturb them anymore and let them be. I sat at my desk and caught a little pink folded paper on top of my table.
"Thank you, teacher. I didn't know making new friends is fun. They all love the stories we read together. Samuel said he would like to read with us next time we go to the library. Can he? Please?"
I looked up from the letter I was holding, and saw Fey staring back at me. I nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.
She mouthed a, "Thank you! I love you!" to me and went back to telling her new friends the stories we read before.
That signals the start of my students' break. I can see how their faces turned from blank faces to excited ones.
"And so, I understand from the look on your faces that you aren't with me anymore, but with our favorite lady in the canteen as well as the food hiding in your bags..."
I haven't even finished my words, when all of them chorused a resounding, "Yes!!!". So I smiled at my kids, whom I have come to love as my own, and let them have their much-awaited break.
I stayed at my place and also took the food my dear mother had prepared for me and watch how the kids go to their friends. Of course, we are already in the middle of the school year. The kids have already formed their circle of friends.
I heard the door of my classroom open. A sudden silence fell upon us as if an angel passed by and blessed us all with her heavenly presence.
"Hi Ms. Encarnacion, the principal is looking for you. She asked me to tell you to drop by her office before the lunch break ends."
What could the reason be? Did one of my students get into another fight at the canteen? Or maybe, another parent complained about the grade of her child? I pondered quietly, as I tread from corridor to corridor.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Good morning, Ma'am!"
"Come in, Ms. Encarnacion." There was a parent and a student sitting in front of her. The mother of the child offered a warm smile. "You have a new student." His mother urged the child to speak and greet me.
"Mary Fey, say hi to your new teacher." Fey remained quiet, her head down and eyes trained on the floor. "Sorry, Ma'am. My daughter is extremely shy. She has been bullied a lot at school and so she doesn't talk much."
"I understand, Miss." From my peripheral vision, I can see the child slightly tilt her head and sneak a glance at me. I acted as if I didn't see her do such a thing and continued to talk with her mother.
-----------------------------------------
A week passed and Mary Fey still kept to herself. According to the president of the class, their classmates refused to befriend the new kid. I tried so many ways to make her get along with the rest of the kids, but to no avail, she remained a loner.
I hope today would be a different day.
I led the kids to the library. As we enter, they were amazed at how big it was and screamed with delight as they saw the many books that lined the walls. I asked them to form a big circle. It took a little while to make them calm down and finally sit still, but I managed to do so. I pat myself on the back and grinned at them as I sat on the floor with them. I took the book out and read it aloud, with different voices and fun sound effects. The kids were laughing at the different expressions I used to tell the story.
My eyes wandered, drinking in the sight of my kids so immersed in my every word, and almost passed one whose eyes reflected the same wonder and amazement as the other kids. She laughed and cried bloody murder when I acted as if I was the killer about to pounce on them.
"Did you enjoy the story?" I asked them, but my eyes remained on the shy girl who never looked me in the eyes during my classes. All of them echoed their happiness at how the story ended and excitedly tell me what they would do if they were in the same situation. When I told them that our time in the library was almost up, they looked almost sad to leave, only the thought of home and their parents waiting for them, wiped away the sadness of leaving such a wonderful place. "Okay, now I want you to stand in line outside the library and wait for me."
I thought all of them had already gone out. As I was thanking the librarian for accommodating us, I felt someone tug at my dress. My eyes darted downwards and saw Fey, the new kid in my class.
"Yes, dear?" She pointed out one part of the wall where the picture books are located. "Do you want to borrow a book?" She nodded shyly. I turned my gaze to the librarian, who nodded her consent.
Fey jumped for joy and run towards the books to pick one and put it in her bag. I held her hand as we joined the rest of her classmates outside and met their parents.
From then on, every end of the class, Fey would ask me to come to the library to pick a new book. At first, I would ask her about the story and she would only answer a short 'yes' and 'no'. Then, the yes-no answers became phrases and now full sentences.
I watched her change from the shy kid who couldn't even look me in the eye to a kid who loved stories and visions of places she reads about transformed into a chatterbox.
I was floating on air seeing her improvement. However, she was only like this when we are alone. So I thought of an idea.
-------------------------------------------
It's our reading day again at the library. As usual, the kids were pleased as punch to hear that we are going to be listening to a new story. I made sure that everyone is already settled and made Fey sit at my designated spot. I took the book she told me she loved the most from the shelf.
"Good morning, kids! Are you excited to hear our story for today?"
"Yes!"
"Alright! Well, today, I won't be the storyteller. Do you want to know who our storyteller is?"
"Yes!"
"Mary Fey...." All their eyes turned to Fey and I saw how she sat still and looked at me with a panic-stricken face. I could read the expression on her face quite clearly. Betrayal. "love this book a lot. And I think, you kids, would also love it as much as she did. So do you want her to read the story to you?"
"Yes!"
I sat beside her and gave her an assuring and encouraging smile. I urged her to take the book from me. She hesitantly did so and faced her classmates. She started reading the book at a slow pace, never once looking up from it.
"And then?" one of the kids, whose name is Samuel, asked. "What happened next????"
Mary Fay stared at the kid. "What?"
"Well, what happened next?" The question was genuine and full of wonder. The other kids were also hanging on Fey's every word.
"He was able to hold on to a tree branch."
"Really? Wow! I thought he would die!" Samuel exclaimed.
"I thought so, too, at first!"
The kids bombarded her with lots of questions which she answered timidly at first. But, when she saw how truly excited and interested her classmates were about her story, she started opening up, telling the story the way she does with me.
I watch as the kids stare at her with faces full of awe. They asked her about other stories she has read aside from the one she was holding. Fey gladly told them about all those other stories. We didn't even realize that it's almost time to go home. Their parents are already outside, waiting. So I told them that they can ask more about the other stories Fey know the next day.
I made them line up and greet their parents outside. I was looking for my star of the day but she has already gone out.
------------------------------------------
The next day, as I enter my class, I noticed how the kids are sitting in a circle around Fey. She was telling them another story she has read, so I didn't disturb them anymore and let them be. I sat at my desk and caught a little pink folded paper on top of my table.
"Thank you, teacher. I didn't know making new friends is fun. They all love the stories we read together. Samuel said he would like to read with us next time we go to the library. Can he? Please?"
I looked up from the letter I was holding, and saw Fey staring back at me. I nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.
She mouthed a, "Thank you! I love you!" to me and went back to telling her new friends the stories we read before.
