As a treat for my 5A class after a double session last week, we played BINGO today in class. I have a bit of a unique system for playing- we create our own boards. Choosing five different categories, we come up with five examples within the category as a class. For example, the category could be animals, and as a class we come up with panda bear, lion, snake, zebra, and spider. All of these are recorded on the board and then the students fill in their blank bingo cards however they see fit.
When it comes time to play, I randomly choose (usually from sheets of paper folded up) the letters B, I, N, G, or O, and say one of the words from the board.
There are many reasons I play this way, but one of the benefits is the activity we can end the class with: silly sentences. The assignment is to create sentences using a word from each of the categories. Here are some examples of work today... enjoy :)
"The red Romanian cat does math and plays ping-pong."
"The blue English zebra danced when it was learning P.E."
"When I was playing basketball in the math class, a green zebra said that he went to Spain a weekend ago."
"When I learnt for science in my car, go to England to play water polo, I saw a purple cat playing basketball."
"Last month I went in England when I saw a man in yellow clothes who was playing tennis with a cat but he don't know Romanian."
"Last month, when I was in Sweden for a math exam, when I saw a big rat, big like a giraffe, purple, playing ping-pong with a hand, and with the other he was playing P.E."
"When I learnt English in Spain I saw a yellow cat playing ping-pong."
"In my purple room I dance, I think at Italy and at my zebra's English homework."
"When I was to Spain, I bought for my cat a green book to learn math and I played ping-pong."
"When I was in England, I saw a blue man wearing a red cat."
"I saw a red rat in Spain, that was playing ping-pong and study math with his friends."
"I live in Romania and while I was playing tennis I saw a blue giraffe that likes P.E."
"I have a purple zebra who is learning math in Romania when I'm dancing."
"I learning to be green and my Spanish rat who is a tennis star is doing science."
"When I play basketball in Italy I always think that a blue giraffe will dance in front of me."
"Italy's rats are purple and they are good at the science tennis."
Just admit it... my job is cooler than yours.
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Scheduling- Round Two
For months they have been working on the third wing of the building at School 79, and it was finally finished during the mid-semester break last week. Classes were moved into new rooms, and I saw the back of the school building for the first time. On a side note, my 6th grade students got a GREAT shot of a naked man in the building opposite through a window. "Moving on to exercise 11, please..."
Regardless, we have moved from 40 minutes classes in three shifts throughout the day to 50 minute classes in two shifts. I'm a bit nervous about exactly what to do with 10 extra minutes in classes with the little ones- honestly, 40 minutes is about what they can handle. But regardless, I've emerged from this whole scheduling fiasco a winner. Only one bad day, and it's a Monday :)
Here is the new schedule, for those who are interested. Additionally, I will provide commentary on each class, now that I know them...
Monday
12:00- 5B (Actually one of my favorite groups, if crazy loud and super nuts and really challenging sometimes. Filled with some really funny boys who goof off non-stop, and one of the sweetest girls you could ever hope to meet...)
1:00- 7B (A sweet group individually, but collectively they can be a disaster... interesting bunch for sure...)
3:00- 5C (Has some of the LOUDEST boys I've ever met in my life- and they can be crazy, but really wonderful and fun sometimes...)
4:00- 6C (The bread throwing class. That is about all I have to say...)
5:00- 7A (A class I love love love, but they can get kind of rowdy. Looking forward to more good things with this class...)
Tuesday
8:00- 2C (A DREAM group. Some really adorable kids, they listen really well, and they love me...)
9:00- 2E (This group is really interesting... can get super loud, but incredibly affectionate. I love teaching them, and getting all the hugs...)
10:00- 1D (Ugh... rough. The absolute NUTTIEST child I've ever taught in my life- he tried to "sneak" out of class 17 times one day- but you should see this kid smile...)
11:00- 1B (A really adorable dream kind of class- cute kids with a bit of attitude sometimes...)
12:00- 5A (What could possibly be my favorite group. Just- SWEET and amazing. Seriously, sometimes too easy...)
Wednesday
8:00- 1C (A group I've not sure what to do with. On my best days they are charmable, on my worst they are a disaster...)
9:00- 2D (Ugh- wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Rough...)
10:00- 2A (Wow, a fantastic group, and so so so smart. I absolutely LOVE these kids... and the three Luca boys...)
11:00- 1E (My favorite group of first graders- they are seriously adorable, and really well behaved, and they sing ALL my songs...)
12:00- 6A (My other DREAM group- too easy sometimes, but lovely)
Thursday
4:00- 6B (Another incredibly rowdy group, but some hysterical kids. They make me laugh EVERY week...)
5:00- 8B (These kids are interesting... somewhat unmotivated to do ANYTHING for me in English, but a lot of very smart students, and some sweethearts...)
Friday
9:00- 1A (Lots of cute kids, but some that are just TOO advanced in English for the group- good for them, bad for us...)
10:00- 2B (Used to be a disaster class and still a challenging group, but much easier and a happy time almost always...)
11:00- 1F (Sometimes crazy, but my smallest group, and they were a lot better in the new room today- also, one of the sweetest students I have...)
12:00- 8A (Technically the "best" students I have in English... some amazing kids and some that really just don't care... I feel like a constant failure with this group...)
Not bad, eh?
Regardless, we have moved from 40 minutes classes in three shifts throughout the day to 50 minute classes in two shifts. I'm a bit nervous about exactly what to do with 10 extra minutes in classes with the little ones- honestly, 40 minutes is about what they can handle. But regardless, I've emerged from this whole scheduling fiasco a winner. Only one bad day, and it's a Monday :)
Here is the new schedule, for those who are interested. Additionally, I will provide commentary on each class, now that I know them...
Monday
12:00- 5B (Actually one of my favorite groups, if crazy loud and super nuts and really challenging sometimes. Filled with some really funny boys who goof off non-stop, and one of the sweetest girls you could ever hope to meet...)
1:00- 7B (A sweet group individually, but collectively they can be a disaster... interesting bunch for sure...)
3:00- 5C (Has some of the LOUDEST boys I've ever met in my life- and they can be crazy, but really wonderful and fun sometimes...)
4:00- 6C (The bread throwing class. That is about all I have to say...)
5:00- 7A (A class I love love love, but they can get kind of rowdy. Looking forward to more good things with this class...)
Tuesday
8:00- 2C (A DREAM group. Some really adorable kids, they listen really well, and they love me...)
9:00- 2E (This group is really interesting... can get super loud, but incredibly affectionate. I love teaching them, and getting all the hugs...)
10:00- 1D (Ugh... rough. The absolute NUTTIEST child I've ever taught in my life- he tried to "sneak" out of class 17 times one day- but you should see this kid smile...)
11:00- 1B (A really adorable dream kind of class- cute kids with a bit of attitude sometimes...)
12:00- 5A (What could possibly be my favorite group. Just- SWEET and amazing. Seriously, sometimes too easy...)
Wednesday
8:00- 1C (A group I've not sure what to do with. On my best days they are charmable, on my worst they are a disaster...)
9:00- 2D (Ugh- wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Rough...)
10:00- 2A (Wow, a fantastic group, and so so so smart. I absolutely LOVE these kids... and the three Luca boys...)
11:00- 1E (My favorite group of first graders- they are seriously adorable, and really well behaved, and they sing ALL my songs...)
12:00- 6A (My other DREAM group- too easy sometimes, but lovely)
Thursday
4:00- 6B (Another incredibly rowdy group, but some hysterical kids. They make me laugh EVERY week...)
5:00- 8B (These kids are interesting... somewhat unmotivated to do ANYTHING for me in English, but a lot of very smart students, and some sweethearts...)
Friday
9:00- 1A (Lots of cute kids, but some that are just TOO advanced in English for the group- good for them, bad for us...)
10:00- 2B (Used to be a disaster class and still a challenging group, but much easier and a happy time almost always...)
11:00- 1F (Sometimes crazy, but my smallest group, and they were a lot better in the new room today- also, one of the sweetest students I have...)
12:00- 8A (Technically the "best" students I have in English... some amazing kids and some that really just don't care... I feel like a constant failure with this group...)
Not bad, eh?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Lessons
Yesterday was rather anti-climatic in terms of teaching. In other ways it was incredibly exciting, sure- the 37 bouquets of flowers and feeling my heart fall out of my chest after being asked to speak in front of so many people. But as far as actual teaching goes, there was none of it. And so I said that I began my life as a teacher yesterday- but I didn't really.
That realization came last night. I had prepped an opening lesson for the little guys, having NO idea if they had any background with English, or the alphabet- and also, not knowing if they knew everything already. (In this sense, I miss the States. I miss knowing what is standard and normal and can be expected in each grade...) Regardless, I was laying in bed after talking to someone and it just HIT me.
I was happy and bright and fresh this morning when I arrived at school. I found the rooms for all of my classes and watched the little people swarm into the building with their parents. This is one thing that just crosses cultures the world over. The excitement and chaos of the school year, regardless of classroom set up or language or subject or age. I could stand in the office and know EXACTLY what was going on without speaking even a bit of the language. And I learned three things this morning.
1. First graders will always have the ability to caputre my heart. My first little bunch of the morning, and these kids were adorable. Like, totally beautiful and wonderful and simply fantastic. We started with introductions: "My name is Stephanie. What is your name?" "MY NAME IS ERVIN!" "Hi, Ervin!" "HI, STEPHANIE." (He is going to be one of my favorites, I can tell already. It was like the reverse of the stereotypical "speak loud and slow to someone who doesn't know the language" thing. Ervin speaks louder when he DOESN'T know the language, and it is utterly adorable.) Moving on, we did a lot of different alphabet activities, and I was really pleased that many of them had a grasp on the alphabet already. We sang the song and danced a dance (okay, a lot of dances!) and did a letter hunt and alphabet tracking to find letters... it was ridiculous how awesome it was. They responded well and I just turned ON the silly and we giggled and learned and it was beautiful. Skip ahead two classes and I'm in another first grade room. Same thing, friends. I walked away from the day feeling just wonderfully blessed to have the opportunity to teach SIX of these classes each week.
2. Second grade might be my downfall. I KNOW that it could have been just two crazy classes, but it was rough. It didn't help that these kids knew kind of a lot. I mean, I changed the activity up right away when I saw how much they knew. I guess I was just expecting to be able to charm them a whole lot better, but they weren't having it. Man, oh man... it was rough. I kept reminding myself that I would have had that classroom in SHAPE, if only I could speak the language. It just isn't as effective when you bend down low to a kid and get in their face and you can't just say "CUT IT OUT." However, I never got to the point where it just felt completely out of control, but they were talkers, for sure. I'm going to need to come up with a LOT for this age group- it will help when the textbooks arrive in like, you know, 3 months. The one highlight was during the introduction part of the third class (the second group of second graders)... one boy opened his mouth and in a perfect English accent said "I am Matt." My heart literally leaped in my chest, and I leaned in close and whispered to him "You are I are going to be very good friends." And no joke- he responded "You're going to need it." Sweet!
3. Teachers must supply their own toilet paper. I'll spare you all of the, ahem, details. Let me just say that there is a very lovely teacher's toilet on the first floor, which happened to be the location of my last class for the day. And I will also let you know this: something here in Romania (I suspect the water, because this is the only thing I consume on a regular basis) is having a bit of a battle with my digestive system. Thank goodness I brought a pack of kleenex in my bag this morning, but it really was too bad that I left it outside the stall.
I'll leave you, my friends, with THAT mental image.
That realization came last night. I had prepped an opening lesson for the little guys, having NO idea if they had any background with English, or the alphabet- and also, not knowing if they knew everything already. (In this sense, I miss the States. I miss knowing what is standard and normal and can be expected in each grade...) Regardless, I was laying in bed after talking to someone and it just HIT me.
I was happy and bright and fresh this morning when I arrived at school. I found the rooms for all of my classes and watched the little people swarm into the building with their parents. This is one thing that just crosses cultures the world over. The excitement and chaos of the school year, regardless of classroom set up or language or subject or age. I could stand in the office and know EXACTLY what was going on without speaking even a bit of the language. And I learned three things this morning.
1. First graders will always have the ability to caputre my heart. My first little bunch of the morning, and these kids were adorable. Like, totally beautiful and wonderful and simply fantastic. We started with introductions: "My name is Stephanie. What is your name?" "MY NAME IS ERVIN!" "Hi, Ervin!" "HI, STEPHANIE." (He is going to be one of my favorites, I can tell already. It was like the reverse of the stereotypical "speak loud and slow to someone who doesn't know the language" thing. Ervin speaks louder when he DOESN'T know the language, and it is utterly adorable.) Moving on, we did a lot of different alphabet activities, and I was really pleased that many of them had a grasp on the alphabet already. We sang the song and danced a dance (okay, a lot of dances!) and did a letter hunt and alphabet tracking to find letters... it was ridiculous how awesome it was. They responded well and I just turned ON the silly and we giggled and learned and it was beautiful. Skip ahead two classes and I'm in another first grade room. Same thing, friends. I walked away from the day feeling just wonderfully blessed to have the opportunity to teach SIX of these classes each week.
2. Second grade might be my downfall. I KNOW that it could have been just two crazy classes, but it was rough. It didn't help that these kids knew kind of a lot. I mean, I changed the activity up right away when I saw how much they knew. I guess I was just expecting to be able to charm them a whole lot better, but they weren't having it. Man, oh man... it was rough. I kept reminding myself that I would have had that classroom in SHAPE, if only I could speak the language. It just isn't as effective when you bend down low to a kid and get in their face and you can't just say "CUT IT OUT." However, I never got to the point where it just felt completely out of control, but they were talkers, for sure. I'm going to need to come up with a LOT for this age group- it will help when the textbooks arrive in like, you know, 3 months. The one highlight was during the introduction part of the third class (the second group of second graders)... one boy opened his mouth and in a perfect English accent said "I am Matt." My heart literally leaped in my chest, and I leaned in close and whispered to him "You are I are going to be very good friends." And no joke- he responded "You're going to need it." Sweet!
3. Teachers must supply their own toilet paper. I'll spare you all of the, ahem, details. Let me just say that there is a very lovely teacher's toilet on the first floor, which happened to be the location of my last class for the day. And I will also let you know this: something here in Romania (I suspect the water, because this is the only thing I consume on a regular basis) is having a bit of a battle with my digestive system. Thank goodness I brought a pack of kleenex in my bag this morning, but it really was too bad that I left it outside the stall.
I'll leave you, my friends, with THAT mental image.
Monday, September 13, 2010
First Day Reactions
For years I have been living for the first day of school. The anticipation, the excitement, the anxiety. Not knowing exactly what to expect but looking forward to the amazing potential the year holds.
I couldn't stop smiling this morning as I got ready in my apartment. I slept really well last night for the first time since arriving in Romania (aside from the jet lag sleep-off) and woke up with the sun shining in the window and the birds chirping and the beauty of the day just... surrounding me. I got ready really early, not needing to be at school until 2:00 in the afternoon. I sat on my futon and replied to some emails and tried to distract myself, finally just going to school to hang out at around 12:00.
Overwhelmed. That seems to be my new word lately. My "catch-phrase," if you will. Students everywhere. EVERYWHERE. An opening assembly of sorts and then kids running to different classrooms and smiling and laughing and pointing and giggling. I was introduced to everyone and then met with a few different classrooms, finally making my way to the staff room to get my timetable. Whoa, buddy. This is so different. So new. So... wonderful. I got 37 bouquets of flowers today. Ooh, man. I would gladly take a salary cut in the US for 37 bouquets of flowers from students who don't even know me. I feel unbelievably appreciated. (And it took me three trips to get home with all of them)
Here is my schedule:
Monday
2:45- 7B
3:30- 6B
Tuesday
7:45- 1A
8:30- 2C
9:15- 2B
10:00- 1B
Wednesday
5:00- 7A
5:45- 6C
Thursday
8:30- 2E
9:15- 2A
10:00- 2D
10:55- 8A
11:40- 5A
12:25- 5B
1:55- 6A
Friday
7:45- 1C
8:30- 1D
9:15- 1F
10:00- 1E
10:55- 8B
11:40- 5C
No wonder Romanian teachers get paid so little. We BARELY work. There are no requirements to be at school for any longer than these hours, seriously. It is a lot like university, actually. I'm going to need to find something extra to do with my time, because even planning for 12 different levels each week will not fill up the empty spaces. Travel? Volunteering? Exploration? Extra-curricular clubs? Sure things, all.
I couldn't stop smiling this morning as I got ready in my apartment. I slept really well last night for the first time since arriving in Romania (aside from the jet lag sleep-off) and woke up with the sun shining in the window and the birds chirping and the beauty of the day just... surrounding me. I got ready really early, not needing to be at school until 2:00 in the afternoon. I sat on my futon and replied to some emails and tried to distract myself, finally just going to school to hang out at around 12:00.
Overwhelmed. That seems to be my new word lately. My "catch-phrase," if you will. Students everywhere. EVERYWHERE. An opening assembly of sorts and then kids running to different classrooms and smiling and laughing and pointing and giggling. I was introduced to everyone and then met with a few different classrooms, finally making my way to the staff room to get my timetable. Whoa, buddy. This is so different. So new. So... wonderful. I got 37 bouquets of flowers today. Ooh, man. I would gladly take a salary cut in the US for 37 bouquets of flowers from students who don't even know me. I feel unbelievably appreciated. (And it took me three trips to get home with all of them)
Here is my schedule:
Monday
2:45- 7B
3:30- 6B
Tuesday
7:45- 1A
8:30- 2C
9:15- 2B
10:00- 1B
Wednesday
5:00- 7A
5:45- 6C
Thursday
8:30- 2E
9:15- 2A
10:00- 2D
10:55- 8A
11:40- 5A
12:25- 5B
1:55- 6A
Friday
7:45- 1C
8:30- 1D
9:15- 1F
10:00- 1E
10:55- 8B
11:40- 5C
No wonder Romanian teachers get paid so little. We BARELY work. There are no requirements to be at school for any longer than these hours, seriously. It is a lot like university, actually. I'm going to need to find something extra to do with my time, because even planning for 12 different levels each week will not fill up the empty spaces. Travel? Volunteering? Exploration? Extra-curricular clubs? Sure things, all.
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