Math, English and California Kickball
There are some memories that stand out when I look back on my first year in school in Canada.
Even though I did not get the set of Ninja Turtles action figures that I wanted, I liked Canada. The people were nice, they understood what I was saying, the math was easy and California kickball was part of the school day. After a few weeks, I made the decision to stay. Canada was not so bad.
My family and I moved from the Philippines to Canada in June of 1992. In September, I began grade three. For many children, official entry into Canadian society begins at school. It is the place where they will spend the majority of their time. It was my experiences in my first year of school that taught me about the people, the language and the culture in Canada.
The anxiety of the first day of school for a student is a universal feeling; even more so for a child who thought that there were only two countries in the world, the Philippines and America. There I was, in this Canadian school with a bunch of Canadianos, or whatever they’re called. They’re probably going to make fun of the sweater I was wearing when the only reason I was wearing it was because this country requires sweaters. They’ll think I’m strange. They won’t think I’m smart. What if they don’t understand what I’m saying? What if I don’t understand what they’re saying? There’s the teacher. He’s tall. He has a moustache. That can’t be good. Why did I have to get the giant moustache man who talks too fast, uses big words and enjoys torturing new students? What’s his name? I didn’t catch that. Good start, Jericho.
His name was Mr. Tipple. He was tall and he did have a moustache. He did not, however, talk fast nor did he use big words, and he preferred to joke around with students rather than torture them. That’s what I remember the most. Everyone was playfully teased by him, which was a sign that he liked you. Mr. Tipple treated everyone the same and no one was ever made to feel like an outsider. Looking back on it now, I appreciate the example that he set for his students. His attitude trickled down to the rest of the class.
School was made a little easier when I learned that I could cheat in math—well, at least it felt like cheating. I had learned the lessons that the class was studying the year before in the Philippines. The material was now review to me, so I would quickly go through the exercises and sit quietly in my chair so as not to arouse suspicion. I wasn’t completely comfortable with English yet, so it was nice to feel like I had an advantage over the Canadians in something; an advantage that I thought would come to an end one day.
That day came shortly after, during silent reading time. I was taken out of class and brought to another room. I thought they had found out about my math advantage, and I was being taken to this other room as a form of punishment. I had been sent to the corner before in my old school, but these Canadians took me to a whole other room! I was told to read some stories and answer some questions about the stories. I was then sent back to my classroom. These Canadians aren’t so tough.
I later learned that that session was my English assessment. The school later informed my parents that my English level was high enough for me to avoid ESL classes. I could stay with my regular classmates and continue with their lessons. That’s good to know; I guess this means people understand what I’m saying.
It’s a good thing that the assessment didn’t take very long, as I would have missed a game of California kickball. I did not know what California kickball was, but the class cheered when Mr. Tipple announced we were playing it, so I cheered as well. All I knew was that we were going to take a break at the end of the day to play outside. It was described to me as baseball played with a big rubber ball that you kick instead of hit with a bat. I decided to just watch in the corner and avoid looking foolish. Little did I know that I decided to set up camp on a busy third base. To my surprise, I played well. I caught the balls that came in my direction, and when I tried to kick the ball, I didn’t miss and foolishly fall on my behind. I ran in a straight line and didn’t trip on my own shoe laces. It was a win for me. I had fun, and when it was over, I wanted to play again.
For me, these experiences played a big part in shaping my first impression of Canada. Mr. Tipple set the tone for the class and was a fine ambassador for Canadian authority figures. Math gave me confidence in my intelligence. My brief ESL class set my mind at ease about my English level; enough so that I felt comfortable to communicate with my classmates. My adequate play in California kickball introduced me to organized sports as a hobby and source of enjoyment.
My story is not the same as everybody’s; however, a lot of people will meet their Mr. Tipple. Many children will experience confidence with a subject, and they will realize that their English is not as bad as they think. They will find that game, sport or activity that makes them feel like any other kid who’s glad to be outside playing with their friends.
Photo Credit: Ko:(char *)hook on Flickr
