I don't know if any of you have ever been in an elementary school in the days leading up to spring break, or another major holiday, but I have to tell you it's bananas.
The students are all going nuts because they are itching to get outside and go play. The weather is so nice and the sun is out. And from the teacher's perspective that makes things difficult to teach. But at the same time, the teachers need a break just as much as the kids do. I know I plan to do a lot of work, of the planning and portfolio variety, over this next week.
One thing I learned over the past few days is to join the students and make the lessons work with the time of year. For instance, our puppet from 3rd grade has been missing for the past few days and the students started to notice. Today she called us on her cell phone during class. She wanted to tell us that she was in Martinique (a French speaking island in the Caribbean) and that she was sending us some pictures of herself there. Obviously I was just acting on the phone and I was the one who photo shopped Fifi's picture onto backgrounds of Martinique. But doing that seemed to be what the kids needed to be engaged to talk and write about clothing on this last Friday before break.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Laying Down the Law
So today I sent my first student to see the principal...
Since I've been teaching 1st grade for a while now my CT is backing off more and sometimes not even coming in the classroom during a class. She saw me teach the first lesson to one class and it went well. So after our short break she decided to stay back in the office and work on some paper work and get some emails sent out. I was feeling great, my next class is always well behaved and speaks tons of French. So I moseyed on down the hall and got set up in the class. The kids were acting well and were calm while I was plugging in all the cables and chords.... all except for one.
He, we'll call him V, was sitting on the carpet, speaking English, trying to stomp on a fly and tie his shoe, all at the same time. Needless to say that was distracting to the other students. But in all fairness I hadn't started class yet. That behavoir didn't stop when I said "bonjour" and got the attention from all the other students. I got the calendar warm-up activity started and addressed V quietly. I told him it was time for French and he needed to focus on himself and on speaking French. I then moved around a bit, staying in that same corner of the carpet listening to other students singing the date and counting and watching V to see if he was checking himself and his attitude. He didn't change his behavior so I walked over to him again to let him know that he needed to go to his table seat. He huffed off and was sitting at his table with his head down.
The class continued. At let me just tell you all, it was a fun class. We were talking about monuments in Paris, doing our made up TPR moves for them and then looking for them on Google Earth. The kids loved looking at Paris and seeing it on the big SMART boards.
Back to the story about V. We had just sung our song about La France and were reviewing the picture cards of the monuments (La Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame, L'Arc de Triomphe, Le Louvre) when one of the girls from the back row came up to me to tell me that V had thrown something at her. Two other kids then held up little metal things saying that the same thing happened to them. My brain was starting to hurt. I had to talk to V but I couldn't just leave the class alone doing nothing. I gave one of my mature and advanced students the job of showing the class the pictures. He did a great job with that I have to say. Meanwhile, I was walking over the the table to pull V into the hall to talk to him about being safe and respectful in the class when the principal walked by. I quickly asked her if she could take him and she did.
I just hate that the choices of this one student made me feel so negative about the class. As a whole, the class was excelling. They spoke so much French and were so engaged in the lesson. I love that they sang the song with me even though I never thaught it to them. And I love that we were able to be fun and a little silly with our made up moves for the monuments but then get calm for the next activity. I love that they got so excited about seeing Paris in their classroom. I just had such a yucky feeling leaving.
Since I've been teaching 1st grade for a while now my CT is backing off more and sometimes not even coming in the classroom during a class. She saw me teach the first lesson to one class and it went well. So after our short break she decided to stay back in the office and work on some paper work and get some emails sent out. I was feeling great, my next class is always well behaved and speaks tons of French. So I moseyed on down the hall and got set up in the class. The kids were acting well and were calm while I was plugging in all the cables and chords.... all except for one.
He, we'll call him V, was sitting on the carpet, speaking English, trying to stomp on a fly and tie his shoe, all at the same time. Needless to say that was distracting to the other students. But in all fairness I hadn't started class yet. That behavoir didn't stop when I said "bonjour" and got the attention from all the other students. I got the calendar warm-up activity started and addressed V quietly. I told him it was time for French and he needed to focus on himself and on speaking French. I then moved around a bit, staying in that same corner of the carpet listening to other students singing the date and counting and watching V to see if he was checking himself and his attitude. He didn't change his behavior so I walked over to him again to let him know that he needed to go to his table seat. He huffed off and was sitting at his table with his head down.
The class continued. At let me just tell you all, it was a fun class. We were talking about monuments in Paris, doing our made up TPR moves for them and then looking for them on Google Earth. The kids loved looking at Paris and seeing it on the big SMART boards.
Back to the story about V. We had just sung our song about La France and were reviewing the picture cards of the monuments (La Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame, L'Arc de Triomphe, Le Louvre) when one of the girls from the back row came up to me to tell me that V had thrown something at her. Two other kids then held up little metal things saying that the same thing happened to them. My brain was starting to hurt. I had to talk to V but I couldn't just leave the class alone doing nothing. I gave one of my mature and advanced students the job of showing the class the pictures. He did a great job with that I have to say. Meanwhile, I was walking over the the table to pull V into the hall to talk to him about being safe and respectful in the class when the principal walked by. I quickly asked her if she could take him and she did.
I just hate that the choices of this one student made me feel so negative about the class. As a whole, the class was excelling. They spoke so much French and were so engaged in the lesson. I love that they sang the song with me even though I never thaught it to them. And I love that we were able to be fun and a little silly with our made up moves for the monuments but then get calm for the next activity. I love that they got so excited about seeing Paris in their classroom. I just had such a yucky feeling leaving.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Family Life
I really like my CT, I mean I really like her. She's a great person and very easy to relate and talk to. And she is also very good at what she does. Seeing her in action in the classroom has helped me see different techniques and varying methods in real life and not just in the text book. She's so positive with the kids and has created a great environment to learn. My CT is also very good at helping me with my reflections and debriefings after seeing my lessons. She's also very tactful and constructive with her criticisms.
And, I really like her family. I've met her husband a few times and met one of her kids, who was just so cute, and I've heard so many stories that make me feel like I know her other boy.
Having said all of that, I sometimes feel like her family obligations, which I fully understand, make things a little more difficult for me. For example, in the mornings when I have some questions for her, she's not always around. Some days she arrives at school only a few minutes before we are supposed to start teaching. I completely understand that she has childcare arrangements that prevent her from getting to school by 7:20, I really do. But it also means that after practicing my lessons the night before and thinking up questions that I want to ask her, I run out of time to do so. Sometimes I can squeeze them in. Sometimes I just go with my gut instinct and it all works out and sometimes it doesn't go according to plan. Usually it's not a big deal though.
I think in the end it will make me more independent and self sufficient. But right now it's a little frustrating.
And, I really like her family. I've met her husband a few times and met one of her kids, who was just so cute, and I've heard so many stories that make me feel like I know her other boy.
Having said all of that, I sometimes feel like her family obligations, which I fully understand, make things a little more difficult for me. For example, in the mornings when I have some questions for her, she's not always around. Some days she arrives at school only a few minutes before we are supposed to start teaching. I completely understand that she has childcare arrangements that prevent her from getting to school by 7:20, I really do. But it also means that after practicing my lessons the night before and thinking up questions that I want to ask her, I run out of time to do so. Sometimes I can squeeze them in. Sometimes I just go with my gut instinct and it all works out and sometimes it doesn't go according to plan. Usually it's not a big deal though.
I think in the end it will make me more independent and self sufficient. But right now it's a little frustrating.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
For the love of puppets.
Other than being so very busy over the past few days (picking up more classes and taking on more responsibilities, being observed by my US, and being involved in after school meetings, just to name a few) my CT has given me the challenge of becoming a puppet master.
I've seen her in action with the puppets, the children LOVE it. They freak out when they see a puppet for the first time. They also freak out if the class puppet has been missing for too long, right now she's in Martinique. Using puppets is a great way to "trick" the kids into hearing more of the TL and to keep them engaged. And right now that's what I need since I am working with the same material for a few more days.
So I've made my foray into the field of the puppets. Sometimes I forget to move the puppet's mouth while it talks, sometimes I forget that I'm wearing the puppet at all. One girl has said "la bouche", which means mouth, a few times to remind me. It's been interesting. Yesterday, I had a total giggle fit in front of a class because what I was doing just all of a sudden seemed so absurd. The class liked it though. I think that they got to see I was a human after all and not some boring adult.
I go home at night and practice my different puppet voices. I also have to practice my technique, I have to animate the puppet more. The students really get attached to this piece of cloth and stuffing. When one of the puppets was reciting a poem for a class and doing the gestures that go along with the words the students said "awww" because they really thought it was cute. Sometimes I'm glad that young children can be so gullible.
I've seen her in action with the puppets, the children LOVE it. They freak out when they see a puppet for the first time. They also freak out if the class puppet has been missing for too long, right now she's in Martinique. Using puppets is a great way to "trick" the kids into hearing more of the TL and to keep them engaged. And right now that's what I need since I am working with the same material for a few more days.
So I've made my foray into the field of the puppets. Sometimes I forget to move the puppet's mouth while it talks, sometimes I forget that I'm wearing the puppet at all. One girl has said "la bouche", which means mouth, a few times to remind me. It's been interesting. Yesterday, I had a total giggle fit in front of a class because what I was doing just all of a sudden seemed so absurd. The class liked it though. I think that they got to see I was a human after all and not some boring adult.
I go home at night and practice my different puppet voices. I also have to practice my technique, I have to animate the puppet more. The students really get attached to this piece of cloth and stuffing. When one of the puppets was reciting a poem for a class and doing the gestures that go along with the words the students said "awww" because they really thought it was cute. Sometimes I'm glad that young children can be so gullible.
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