It’s Not About Me

August 29, 2012

It’s Not About Me

I know that I haven’t blogged about school yet, and we are halfway through the third week. So… here goes. It’s hard. I’m trying really hard to process it so bare with me; this might be a bit rocky. (My Dad is laughing at me right now. External processors unite!)

Alright. So it is intimidating to talk to 17 4/5 year olds that don’t speak much English [yeah, they are 4 turning 5, not 5 turning 6]. I have no idea if that was the proper use of brackets, but I felt like a change up from the parenthesis. It is a daunting task to try and teach them content all the while they are learning the language. It is tough for them. Think back to when you were learning words like “Top, bottom, middle,” you had heard them before in your 5-6 years of life. Now try to image that you are in a new school, with a new language you don’t understand, and you are trying to figure out what the teacher is telling you. “What is top? What is middle?” Two tasks at one time, and you are 4. TOUGH. {Having fun with font today J}

As I am sitting here trying to think about how to describe school to you, I’m realizing I should blog more often, or journal, it’s really helping me work through some things. (Now my Mom is laughing at me. She’s been telling me to do that for years. Mom’s are always right!) I have been frustrated, exhausted, squeezed dry of ideas, and just plain lost. My kids are in “Adventures of the Random Teacher!” Anyways, I have been frustrated with them because they don’t listen, they don’t pay attention, they are rolling around on the ground, they are poking, hitting, spitting, karate chopping, and screaming at each other. AH! There are days that when they leave, I just sit and stare for a while. What could I have possibly taught them today? The whole time I am thinking about me. I don’t know what to do. I am failing them. I am a horrible teacher. I can’t get them to do what I want! I, I, I, I, I!! What is the first thing you learn when you go out for a sport? There is no I in TEAM. I had a good think today and decided that I have forgotten why I am a teacher. It’s not about me. I am here to shape students lives. I know they may not remember me much in the future, but I can help prepare them for the rest of grade school, which in turn will become high school and college. (There is a lot of I’s in there, but you know what I mean!) So, My goal for the rest of the week is to turn my focus from what I can’t yet do, to what they have learned so far:

o   Get in a line

o   Walk to different parts of the school in said line (Sometimes! Getting better!)

o   Tell me the rules of the classroom

o   Eyes on the teacher

o   Ears listening

o   Mouth quiet

o   Criss-cross applesauce

o   Hands in your lap

o   Several letters of the alphabet

o   Key phrases in the classroom (stand up, sit down, put a bubble in your mouth)

o   Several songs

o   How to read, write their names and numbers (they are in a number system)

o   Keep your hands to yourself (still working on that one)

o   And many more

See? I’m not failing. it may not be the content or level of progress I expected, but the more I learn about MY STUDENTS, how THEY learn, WHAT they are learning, and how much I am learning from THEM; the better it gets. I’ve learned [or realized, rather] that in order for meaningful learning to happen, there must be a baseline of structure, a level of expectation. Once we learn to control our bodies, and learn some more English, it will be better. Everyday something gets a little better. Even if it is SHORT LIVED, there is some measure of improvement.

Are you still there? I think that was more for me than for anyone else. Sorry. BUT, don’t think I don’t love it! We do have a lot of fun, and I love my class. We are still learning a lot about each other. They can ALLLMOOST say my name. It more comes out like Mista Rystal, Ms KA-rick-i-kis-tals, Kittal, or teacha. One little guy always yells at me TEACHAH NOOO TEACHAH NOOOO!! I thought for sure this kid is not telling me no. He wasn't he was saying Look! haha. 

Some funny things they say:

-       Teachah, so nice? While shoving a picture in my face.

-       Teachah, so haaaaht!! With sweat running down their faces at recess.

-       Teachah, I go pee-pee. Yes, please go pee-pee.

-       HIYAAA, RAWR (like tiger, but so strange), YAAAA.. they like to practice martial arts of some kind haha.

I once told them they could practice their ‘fighting’ as long as they had enough space that they wouldn’t hurt one another. I scolded a young man who forgot the rule and as he saw others doing it he says NO NO NO NO, sits down in criss-cross, and says, “Ohm.” HAHAHA so funny. Whenever I talk to him he raises his eyebrows every 3 seconds. So funny.

OH! Same kid comes barreling out of the ‘toilet’ {not actually IN the toilet} as we were waiting in line, and whips down his pants! What the heck kid?!  

: ) they keep it fun and interesting, sure they wipe me out, but they are 4-5, they’re learning!

Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to! (they are are of order but I don't care. Sorry :P)  If any of you are teachers and have some advice for me, PLEASE COMMENT!! J Thanks!

Listening to books

Practicing standing up and pushing in our chairs

Looking at books

Crawling through tunnels (they were nuts, rolling all over the place)

Again

They have a funny obsession with rolling pool balls around

Balancing bean-bags!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Smartboard fun (those things are amazing! Use mine everyday!)

Finding shapes!

Finding colors and shapes!

Practicing our Rules. They never smile for pictures for some reason. They are actually happy, believe it or not!

Again listening

Almost got the line thing down, it's SO MUCH  better!

more balancing

this is the 'Karate Kid', eyebrow kid, and pants dropper

I'm balancing too!

Her name is Boi, nickname Polly :)

Cutting out our nice hands!

Ha! This is how I get their attention!

Writing Letters

Learning to play together and share... so hard!

Reading together

I can listen! I can read!

Boys are alligators and girls run away from them.. ;)

Team work!

The parachute is absolute chaos, but they love it!

:)

Playing with shapes

Make a new shape out of shapes!

Letters!

Making letters out of clay!

Letters on magic boards!

How they spell and say my name

SPECIAL TREAT. You made it through the whole blog! Here's me on my motorbike! ZOOM ZOOM