Wanted: Childlike Wonder

Working with children has given me so much fulfillment. At the end of the day I feel like I learn more from them compared to how much they learn from me. Being an art educator to young children is not an easy job as other grownups might want to think. Being a teacher means that you are in one way or another responsible for molding these young hearts and minds.

From the very beginning my goal was to help my students discover their inner artist. I wanted them to be able to use art as a tool to express their ideas, their thoughts and feelings about the world around them and about themselves. By making them feel that they have a voice and that what they have to say is important (without hurting other people along the way of course) were on top of my list. My role as Teacher Pia is about to end. I've decided to take on other challenges and other roles. But that doesn't mean that the learning has stopped. My students and I are enjoying our last month and a half together working on their final paintings. I beam with pride when I see these children walk and talk with such confidence knowing that they have creative power.

The art studio is a mess! It's bursting with artists' canvas, and various projects. But amidst the chaos is a feeling that I have spent the last two years with such great human beings with big hearts and sun-shiny smiles. I've had plenty insightful conversations with my young artists. The topics range from doing well in school, following your parents' advise, making and keeping friends, resolving arguments, how to mix just the right pink, just the right purple, how many kinds of colors are there really, is black a color, how about white, why did Van Gogh cut his ear off... the list is indeed very long.

Just this afternoon during clean up time one of my students asked me why the clouds above our school still look white. She asked me this as we were taking out cups of water that we used for painting. I asked her what she meant and her reply was

..."we paint so much right? Then how come the clouds don't absorb all the color from the water as it evaporates? That would be so cool, to have painted clouds."

What if we had painterly clouds? Exciting, isn't it? Oh what I would give to be a kid again!! To think that way and not be ashamed to ask questions means that she was not afraid of being judged, not afraid of being wrong. Asking what if questions is something adults don't do anymore. Is it because we're too busy? We see things as they are. No questions required.

This quick chitchat immediately brought me back to the time when I was about 4 years old. It was summer and I was going to accompany my parents to the province where they needed to fulfill their rural duties (during the time of President Marcos new doctors were required to give their services to rural communities before they can practice fulltime in the big city. It was going to be my first plane ride (and the first for my dad too)! Everyone in the family kept on talking about our trip, how long we'll be away, if the municipality where we were staying was safe especially for a couple with a young rascal in tow. On and on the grown ups planned and arranged the details of our trip. I on the other hand was hatching my grand plan. I was going to bring a jar with me on the plane. Then when we soar as high as the clouds and as we enter the clouds I will slowly open the window and scoop some clouds into my jar. I was giddy with excitement! I knew for a fact that planes go inside clouds beacause I would carefully observe planes as they pass above our house. This was my chance to own clouds. I didn't want a lot. I just wanted enough to fill the empty mayonnaise jar that I was going to bring. I didn't tell anybody about my plan but I had everything ready days before our trip. I was already imagining my fluffy and cottony clouds. I even knew that I had to "feed" it with water (you know, like rain).

I couldn't keep it any longer. The excitement was too much already that I had to tell someone. I went to my aunts and told them about it. They patted me on my head saying "sure, ok!" Why weren't they excited? Didn't they ever want to have their own clouds? I ran to my mom and told her my dream and my plan of action. She smiled and carefully explained to me that Philippine Airlines will not allow me to go on with my plan because the doors and windows of the airplane cannot and should not be opened during a flight. If that happens the airplane will not work properly according to her.
Ok, ok of course I felt sad, crestfallen! I was hatching this plan for weeks! Arghh. So I settled for keeping my eyes glued to the window and when our plane entered the clouds I was at the edge of my seat recording every single moment. I was not able to nap during the flight because I didn't want to miss the clouds.Now that I'm all grown up, whenever I get to ride an airplane I still make it a habit to look out the window and imagine how it would feel like to reach out and scoop a piece of fluffy cloud.

Lately I've been missing that giddy feeling. But after the cloud conversation this afternoon I'm sure that things will be quite different for Teacher Pia.

May all of us have a great 2008! And to my students, always remember to follow your bliss! Thanks for reminding me to do just that.
And yes it would be so cool to have colorful and painterly clouds to hover above us.