Teaching classes from preschool through ninth grade could not be more challenging and tiring, yet in the same breath rewarding and fun. Every morning I wake up by 6:15 to be up at school to start my first class at 6:45. My first class of the day is with 26 seventh grades--how much better can it get. This is one of my most challenging classes because the kids have little motivation and they are at the age where they think they know everything and don't need anyone's help. It has been a challenge for me to get them to listen and respect me and actually have any interest in English at all, but things have started to come around. Seven months into the school year almost my whole class just passed their last test.
My second class of the day is my 26 rambunctious second graders. They are very cute, but they are a handful!!! With this class we have been learning vocabulary and have been able to play fun games and do fun activities. I have had a hard time trying to find a behavior management plan that works for these guys, but six months in I am starting to have success. I created a stoplight and each child has their own car (thanks to Appletree) and if they behave all class they stay on green, yet if they have trouble listening or staying in their desks they can move to yellow or red. At the end of class we look at the stoplight and all the students who are on green can receive a sticker. When they earn four stickers they can receive a prize! They love this system and they are so motivated...it has really changed the face of second grade. I also have a class behavior system where they have to work together to fill up a jar with cotton balls. Each class when they behave or do something well I had a cotton ball. When the jar is full they are able to watch a movie. I have finally got them staying in their seats and today they were even raising their hands instead of screaming my name.
My last class of the day is my ninth grade class--which is a group of 18 students. This is my favorite class by far because they behave and are interested in learning English and that allows us to do so much more in the class. We have written short stories, put on skits and conversations, played many games, listened to song lyrics and are even able to hold class outside sometimes. This class also has their own journals and at the beginning of class they are able to write in their journals in English and then I can respond. It is a great way to practice writing and it also allows them to tell my certain things and express themselves. I never thought I would like teaching older kids, but this class has really showed me how much fun it can be.
And every Friday morning I teach my little preschoolers in the Montessori school. This class is always a blast and is a great way to start my day. We have class outside on picnic tables and listen to songs, read books, play games, cut, color and paste. We have recently been studying the parts of the body. We traced their bodies with chalk and they filled in the names of their body parts. We also played simon says and sang the hokey pokey and head, shoulders, knees and toes. Its a perfect dose of preschool!
I can't believe that we only have two months left in the school year and then we will move on to teaching select students in summer classes. When the school year began in January I did not think I could ever do this---now two months left I can't believe how far we have come---my students and I together.
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