Geez, I'd been teaching for donkey of years and held the chalk forever in my fingers, and yet I'd never had this problem before. I started to wonder if there was something wrong with this batch of chalk. I'd have to ask my colleagues whether they had the same problem as I did.
As I went for my lessons this week, I started to wrap a tissue around a piece of chalk. Even then, I held it gingerly as I wrote on the board. It definitely affected my handwriting on the board. Students too seemed fascinated. They would look at my tissue-wrapped chalk with their eyes opened big, wondering what I was up to. None dared or bothered to ask though. Heh. I would have told them if they'd ask me why I was holding my chalk in such a peculiar manner.
Another way to protect my fingers would be to use a glove. Off I went to the Science laboratory to ask for one. The lab assistant, M****** gave me one pair without any questions. When I was in class, I put on a glove on my right hand. The students laughed at me but I did not care. These were older students, so I told them that my fingers hurt because of the chalk.
Immediately after my lesson, I headed to the canteen for lunch. There, I shared with my colleague, L*** my chalk incident and asked if she experienced any problem with chalk. However, L*** suggested that I got myself a chalk holder. Chalk holder? Call me a daft but I'd never seen a chalk holder before in my entire life. So, L*** showed me hers. Well, it had a cylindrical casing with a spring grip inside. It held a chalk firmly and all I had to do would be to grip onto the plastic casing when writing.
Great, I thought. I needed a chalk holder. After dinner, I drove to the nearest mall to search for one. I went to the book store and the discount store, but to my disappointment I did not manage to find one. Instead I walked to the pharmacy to buy disposable gloves. I thought that I would have to use those gloves till I could find a chalk holder to buy. I thought it not likely available in Miri.
As soon as I reached home, however, I received a text message from a student.
A: Teacher, what happened to your fingers?
Me : Very painful. The chalk burns my skin.
A : Teacher, we bought something for you.
Me : Gloves?
A : No, no. Haha.
Me : Hand cream?
A : Nononononono.
Me : I don't know then.
A : Chalk holder!!
OMG! I love these kids! How sweet of them to buy me a chalk holder when I was indeed looking for one to buy! Apparently, they'd gone to a bookshop in town after school (and we finished school near 5.00 p.m. today) to buy it. Not cheap, they told me. So they used a book voucher to pay for it.
My chalk holder in cheerful yellow
But the funny thing was that I did not even know how to use it when they passed it to me this morning. There were no instructions which came along with it. I tried a few times but could not get it to work.
Finally, I headed to the staff room in search of my colleague, L***. She took off the cap, and inserted a chalk into the cylinder. The smaller side of the chalk had to go in first, so that when you push the button on top, the chalk would slide out smoothly. Great! I was ready to use it.
I'm so touched that these students had me in their thoughts. I'm so touched that they cared enough to go and buy me something I needed. I feel so loved and blessed. This chalk holder will forever hold a special place in my heart. Thanks so much, kids!!
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