DOEI HAVE TO LEAVE

The later it got in the week, the sadder I started to get. I have really gotten to know and love the Hague and Nutsschool--the Netherlands really has been an incredible home these past three weeks. The last two days at school were full of a lot of laughter and a little confusion (still). Wednesday was spent with Groep 4, a funny group that truly loves their teacher. Working with Groep 4 was interesting because I knew I could help with the work they were doing--the math problems were definitely things I’ve helped students with in the past. The biggest problem was the language barrier. I didn’t even know how to actually ask “what’s your question?” or “what can I help you with?” I asked one student to read me the directions in English which then allowed me to go back to the first student who asked me a question and give an example instead of verbally explaining. The wonderful thing about math is that numbers are universal; whether it’s bus routes or multiplication factors, a 2 is a 2 (even if it’s written like twee). It felt good to actually be able to help a student and answer their question instead of awkwardly staring back at them, trying to figure out what they said.

Groep 4 is also a lot of fun because they get an hour at the end of the day to play outside. Much like the Groep 2 teacher, the Groep 4 teacher values play as a source of education. Getting to interact with the students outside was really fun. We got to see the children from Groep 2, which meant I got to say hello to the friends I had made the days before. It was cool to see the younger kids playing with the older kids--something we don’t always see in schools back home. One of the little girls in Groep 2 is the sister of the princess from Groep B, so she will play with her when she’s outside. Day one we were told that everyone has a friend at Nutsschool and from the looks of it, it’s absolutely right. I went to a Community school for 6th-8th grade back home,but it was great to see a school that was really a community.

Our last day at the school was one big mix of sad and fun. After a baby announcement celebration earlier in the week (it’s a boy!), we were a little surprised to walk into school and see the teachers in brightly colored, over-the-top outfits--think neon zebra stripes and stars. Unbeknownst to us, the school was celebrating Carnavle that day, even though it was a Thursday and Carnavale in Brazil was long over. The students all came to school dressed head to toe in crazy costumes and glitter. It really looked like Halloween had come back to the Hague (which I wouldn’t complain about). The morning started with a parade around the playground, everyone singing “Hello Allemal!” This song will officially be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. If anyone ever asks me to say something in Dutch,I’ll just start quoting the song.

We spent the day with Groep 2 again and got to know them a little better than we had the previous days. They had a little time to play in the morning and celebrate, but then we got to see them learn through the use of songs and videos. This was really cool for me to see because it’s just like what my cooperating teacher does with her students. I’ve been involved in music since elementary school and to this day, I can’t go anywhere without listening to music; I think it’s a great learning tool that really can be fun for students. When was the last time that listening to music felt like a chore?--exactly. The children also spent a little time working on Dutch letter sounds. Even though I’m really rusty, I felt like my Dutch got a little better. The hardest part is pronouncing the words, but I think Groep 2 helped me a lot.

It was so sad saying goodbye (Doei) at the end of the day. I loved my time at Nutsschool and really am so grateful that I was able to experience so many school days there. I can’t imagine taking the bus before sunrise anywhere else, and luckily I don’t have to. This experience has truly been so impactful for me; I’m now researching International Schools or American Schools abroad and hopefully will pack up my life and move back to Holland as soon as I finish my Master’s degree. The end goal for me really is to end up back in the Hague--not too far from the beach, not too far from the city, and very close to kind people and vegetarian gummy candy; I will try and do everything in my power to end up there again, even if it takes some time and some other countries to get there.