Third Grade

Third grade can sometimes be my pistols. They’re a big group, they make a lot of noise, and over half of them don’t have books. They’re a difficult group to say the least.
Since there had been a wait at the hospital, we missed second grade, which was fine because it was a test review. And a review on Friday, before a weekend, for a test on Tuesday is not usually a sign for success!
So third grade went pretty well (for a Mexican English class). I started by giving a stamp to those who had completed their homework. This was a task in itself and led to what would be called classroom mismanagement in the US. I just looked at Ashley and laughed and smiled. She understood how different this was for me because she has seen me teach on numerous occasions in Nashville. She knows just how tight my ship is run. Even my little kindergarteners are soldiers!
This year has been great for many things. The lessons I’ve learned professionally have not been the ones I had thought I would learn. However, I have learned a lot. Mostly I’ve learned to let go. Teaching 3 (or should I say 2) times a week does not allow for much consistency. That’s the flaw in the program; it’s not my flaw. I’ve just had to let that go. I’m used to being in control of every situation in my classroom, as minor as it might be. This became more than evident when the bulldozer outside our classroom was louder than my voice could hope to be. Zaid (Sah-EED) got up to close the door at one point. A nice thought, but a futile effort when the windows stay open. The fruit/vegetable man in his car that announces his menu of the day seemed to pass by more than usual. I’m not sure how I heard him over the bulldozer. That kind of noise and interruption has actually become “normal” to me. So much so that I hadn’t noticed it so much until Ashley pointed it out again.
Not being in control has been a change, but I think even though it has stressed me out at times, in the long run it has helped me de-stress (I know, Lori, if you only had to work 3 hours a day 4 days a week you’d be de-stressed, too!).
After checking homework, we did a review of some verbs by playing Simon says. I have not used enough games with my students here because I haven’t felt in control enough. However, after doing Simon says with them (of course they all cheated), realized (what I already knew) that games make them learn so much more quickly, but games also engage them in a way that helps with behavior at least when they’re winning).
The bell rang for dismissal. This 50-minute class went by pretty fast. Watching Ashley watch my kids and seeing her eyes say, “Aw, he’s precious,” or “Poor thing doesn’t have a book,” put me back in the situation with new eyes. I was proud of their behavior, and I was proud of their knowledge. I wish some things were different (all students had books, all students listened all the time [HA!], fewer students at a time), but it was another one of those days that made me realize I love teaching, and I’m doing some things right here.