" These kids have, as I've come to see, no imagination. They cannot understand the difference between fact and fiction. If you tell them a joke they absorb your words then express concern for the characters in the joke... They were fascinated and concerned for the people in the story. One student could not wrap his head around the idea of the Ghost of Christmas Present and how that entity only has a life span of 1 day, Christmas Day. He kept asking about it trying to see how something could have such a short life span."

Besides obvious factors of a very different culture and the interwoven differences in perceptions, I'll just note that where there is compassion and concern for others- whether characters in a story or joke, or real living people- there must be imagination. Perhaps give yourself and your students some freedom regarding what they and you might learn from your carefully prepared lessons. I've taught such children, and it's easy to forget that what they learn may not match our expectations of what we think they should learn. I'd be grateful to have such compassionate students in my classroom, even as I might share your exhaustion and dismay at what I thought they would understand but didn't.

I hope you and Wakana enjoy a joyful, peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Maeve