I came to the art classroom again and became more familiar to this place. Pictures of volunteers holding their student’s art pieces were displayed along the hallways. The drawings were not that attractive or exquisite, but the smiles that hung on these volunteer’s faces were proud and content. I waved hi to Nini and Xiao Song as they walked into the classroom. Nini smiled back to me with her usual blank but cute look on her face. Xiao Song walked in and sat in his seat orderly. I thought I was going to look after Nini this time but the teacher assigned me and another volunteer to a student named Hao Ran. He was a boy with a rather stout figure and short hair. The teacher said that he has a tendency to eat wax. They assumed it was because the pot containing liquid wax is similar to the pot for cooking rice.
I sat with Hao Ran for a moment and then started collecting all the supplies. Since he was not as capable of making candles himself, I had to guide him through all the steps. I was not used to this since the last time all I needed to do was to talk with Xiao Song while he was doing all the work. I tried to thread the candle wick like Xiao Song did but failed. I attempted many more times and still could not get the candle wick through. Hao Ran started to get uneasy and agitated since he was bored. I saw this and changed a different mold and was able to thread the candle wick through.
We went towards the pot to pour liquid wax into our cup. I let Hao Ran use a big spoon to scoop the wax into our cup. His clumsy hands trembled and the wax was spilled everywhere. The wax also ran down the lip of the cup and on to his fingers. He put his fingers in his mouth to taste the wax. Then his hands hesitated as it reached towards the liquid wax in the pot. His fingers sunk in. When he pulled them out, they were covered with a white crumbling layer of wax. The wax was not hot but it would be bad for him if he eats it. I felt slightly puzzled but was sure that I needed let him stay away from the pot. When the cup was quite full, I took him back to where we sat.
I quickly stuck the herbs and flowers on the inner sides of the mold for decoration. The main goal for this class was not to make something that looks good but to actually make something. I tried to let him pour the wax into that mold but he poured too much that it overflowed and made a mess. He then ate some wax that was on his fingers. I tried to stop him by using big gestures telling him not to do that. I also diverted his attention by giving him a maker to draw. I then shoved the cup and mold away from him. I saw saliva mixed with wax trickled down his chin. Even though he spat some out, I was sure he still swallowed some wax. I decided to let him draw first and leave the candle making for later. When he was drawing, his eyes were not on the paper but gazed at the pot where the liquid wax was.
Soon, he started to get bored again and had this irritated expression on his face. Abruptly, he used his hand to hit his jaw bone very hard. He also banged his head on the table. His eyebrows pinched together while his teeth clenched. His expression looked painful from something that I did not understand. I was stunned by this scene as my mind went blank. I was confused about how I should respond to this situation. Then I remembered that the teacher told me when a student conducts an action that is self-abusing, you should not react dramatically to it. Be calm as if nothing happened and divert his or her attention. So I immediately stuck a marker in his hand and told him I was going to teach him to draw some basics. I used a yellow marker to draw a sun. He was not paying attention to me in the first place but he finally drew a circle with lines surrounding it. I heaved a sigh since he finally stopped his self-abusing actions. He seemed to be in an unsteady mood today. I tried to calm him down more so I drew his figure on the paper and spoke to him in a tender voice, “this is Hao Ran. You have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.”
I drew trees on the paper. He drew the same thing in his paper. I felt that Hao Ran has good mimicking skills. This made it easier when I wanted to teach him a technique. He became quite agitated again as he frequently glanced at the pot. I was worried that he might start hitting himself again. I had no choice but to go with him and get some wax. He did not spill as much wax this time when he scooped the wax into the cup. We went back to our tables and I let him pour the wax into a new mold. Hao Ran saw the mold that I put away from him before. He poked his finger into the wax that was almost solidifying. There was a big hole in the middle and the candle was ruined. I felt frustrated since that was the only candle we made today. This time, I put the new mold in a place far away from him.
I gave him some crayons and let him draw freely. He scribbled along paper with crude and disorderly lines. Some of the colors clash and contrast, thereby creating a quite interesting look. Scribbling in large areas with crayons may also relieve his stress and negative emotions. His work represents his emotions through the discordant colors and coarse texture. Through his work, I can see his frustration, anxiety, and anger.
Shortly, this class reached its end. The students gradually left the classroom. I stood with the other volunteers and waved goodbye. In this class, I encountered many unexpected challenges that were difficult to deal with. I hope that when I face these problems next time, I can respond to them more quickly and skillfully.
Joyce's Blog 