Open Class

It was set for 8am.  Prof. Roberto and I (principal) had decided to keep it low key.  I told the kids yesterday in class and they were to relay the message to their parents.  I think Prof. Roberto didn't want me to get too worked up and nervous, so it wasn't anything official.

I jammed to some new Kanye West on my bus ride and was excited that I'd be arriving earlier than expected and could set up the computer, etc.  Well, then our bus waited at one stop for over ten minutes!  I guess he had gotten there too quickly or something and had to make sure to arrive at the next (supervised) stop at the correct time.

I still arrived on time, and at a stop between the 15 minute layover and school, I saw Maribel getting on the bus.  Maribel is the one, mind you, who told me never to sit on the first seat of the bus (without giving me a reason) and where does she sit?  Seat número uno!  And the bus wasn't even close to full (because it was nearing the end of the route at school)!  She didn't see me when she got on, and I was jammin', so we didn't speak until we got off the bus.  I realized that she sat up front because she had to get her money out and count it in order to pay the driver.

As I was walking up the steps to school, I called out to her amidst cries of "Teacher!  Teacher!"  The elementary age is just like that, I guess, across the board.  They want attention and they want acknowledgement from the "important people" (teachers).

We signed in and went to the computer room to gather ourselves.  I had yet to see one parent.  Wouldn't that be interesting- a parent meeting with no parents. 

We made our way to the room, and I had two cameras- one for video and one for pictures.  I didn't give them away, so I got neither video footage nor photos.

I'm a failure.

When it comes to cameras. 

Teaching, however, is my forte.

I explained to the parents that it would look different from classes they've seen in the past.  And that my main goal, in the US as well as here, is that they enjoy their language class.  If they're not enjoying it, they won't learn it well.

Then I proceeded with Hello Kitty and her Thanksgiving adventures.

It was such a successful class.  There was noise, and David (who lived in the States briefly) was typically annoying, but overall I found it to be a success.  Once they were finished listening and acting out the story, I had them write some phrases they remembered from the story.  I wanted 4.  They were hesitant and nervous (most students want perfection and since this was not an easy task, they didn't want to do it), but eventually they came up with some sentences.  I started monitoring and Maribel asked me if I would be doing anything else with them.   I told her that I would solicit some responses, but that the moms could go.  She announced to the moms that she would meet with them outside to address any concerns or thoughts.

I continued with the sentences and even got several of them to speak.  I wrote their responses on the board and was really proud of what they could remember.

I finished with them and went to catch up with Maribel who was still talking to some moms.  As I walked up they were finishing up and I thanked them for coming and they went on their way. They noticed that my class was very different from the previous teacher's.  And that my English was faster and "more confusing" but Maribel assured them that the kids were understanding.  She told them that she didn't care if they (the moms) understood as long as the kids did, and that the kids were understanding.  She had been watching for that.  I assured her that they would easily acclimate themselves to my speech just like my students did to Yuri.

Maribel then followed me into the computer room and said she didn't want to leave.

Ha!

I know that it was because she didn't want to work, but it's funny because people who visit Lockeland don't want to leave, either.  Their reasoning, however is because it's such a happy place.

She also told me that I was her only school for today and that she had lots of teachers to visit, but could only visit them on Wednesdays.  She said that Wednesdays had been set aside for teachers in big trouble, and only Wednesdays.  So tomorrow, she'd be heading to several schools.  One teacher had been mistreating students and she had to go take care of that.

The assessing ladies were still there, so Anabel (the 1st grade class that I had missed, but that had been in assessment) asked if she could borrow my CD player to practice Christmas Carols for our upcoming concert (there will be some English carols, too!).  I gave it to her and then set off recording grades, organizing my file folders, and making lists.