So, I had a really rough week. My one boy continually terrorizes my room. I have several runners and screamers (which is an all day thing). Then on Sunday, the school decided to close 2 sections of first grade meaning I now have 24 to 25 students in a class. Our rooms are very small and the kids are crazy. Let me put crazy into perspective for you...Try to envision making twenty-five cats sit in a chair for a short period of time. Yes, you have those cats that if you pet them, they eventually fall asleep and will stay sitting. Then you have those cats that will be good if you reward them with a treat. However, for the most part, you cannot force a cat to stay sitting. You may get 10 of them seated and start on the next 10, then come to find out the first 10 are gone-some crawling behind furniture, some hiding from you under furniture refusing to come out, some trying to escape by window and...guess what...it is a never ending cycle.Then you have some of those frisky cats that like to meow continuously, chase lights, and scratch and hiss when you enter their territory. I have 25 of these cats for only two 2hr periods and they wear me out and make me want to cry.
However, today my kittens were calm and collective (or the best I've managed to see thus far!) We had an hour late start due to fog. Our principal called us and said, "Come when the fog lifts, Inshallah!" Of course, being a westerner, I like to know the exact time. Principal says, "You will know, Inshallah!" OK then! CLICK!
 |
| This is what 95% humidity at 630am looks like. I walk outside and it's 104 degrees. |
Then the kids arrive. First class I started giving one to one assessments for math and reading, and the others put math puzzles together, watched a video, and ran around the room chasing each other. Then my second class came. I had one goal today, to train them on coming to the carpet appropriately and sitting in their correct spot. I pulled out the suckers, explained what they needed to do, practiced 3 times. And had a 99% rate and suckers were had by all but the one who thought he should be a bowling ball and roll to the carpet all 3 times! One success for the day.
We then had a pretty productive math/reading carpet time, where we could do activities for a whooping 10 minutes. This is where my little light bulb came on. For once, they all sat silently (this NEVER happens), raised their hand, and tried their best to shout out the English words after me. Hmmm..Why the silence? Why the hand raising? Ah Ha! They all had suckers in their mouths..They were too busy to talk. Why didn't I think of this earlier..This was my second success for the day.
Then I started the assessment and like the last class the others did math puzzles, ran around, and this class also threw balls and pencils at one another. At one time I looked over and 5 of the boys are sitting on carpet and another is at the number spinner on the wall. They were reenacting math carpet time when I chose one student to be the teacher and they spin the wheel! I just had to stop and listen to them trying to use their new English words. Boy in the front, "What da number?" Boys on the carpet THREE! Boy in the front, "Whaa color dis?" Boys on carpet GREEN! Boy in the front gives them 2 thumbs up and says "GO GOB!" aka. Good Job! The best part, the boys on the carpet were raising their hands..This was a huge success...Almost brought tears to my eyes. ha Then I was brought back to reality by a boy saying "Miss, Miss! Uggg...That (pointing to another boy) dis (demonstrating the punch to the stomach and pinching of the arm).
Things that make me smile:
-Boy tugging at my arm "Miss!" then points to his new Ferrari shirt he was wearing for PE with the BIGGEST grin on his face! He than says our new word "NICE!"
-Boy brought to my room screaming and crying, kicks off his shoes and socks. Try to ask what is wrong, to bad he can't tell me in English and I can't understand Arabic! I let him scream for 1 hour. Then it is time for Canteen(lunch), so I ask him if he wants to "Eat!" He proceeds in trying to tear off the velcro from his shoe. The harder he pulls, the more frustrated he gets, the more I laugh...then he whips the shoes in the garbage. I decide to take the class and leave him...on the way back to the room, here he comes walking with his shoes and one sock in hand =)
-Parent wants to speak to me(in Arabic) about how "bright" her child is. Three people later, I realize that she is not saying Mohamed is LOST!!! She is saying Mohamed knows A LOT!!
-Boy is constantly out of his desk, I give him a little stare down, he gives me a little grin-shakes his head and SLOWLY walks back to his desk( this may happen about 20-25 times in a 2 hour period).
-Getting our school curriculum 3 weeks after school has started.
-Watching the domino effect of six 3rd graders fall down the stairs because they were running (after ignoring me when I told them to walk)!
-The kids in my class keep coming up to me and repeatedly have been saying the word "my". I assumed they were trying to speak English so I tried to communicate through actions, ect. and ask them "my what?..my book, my pencil, my crayons?" Eventually, I found out that "my" in Arabic means water! lol So basically, I've been denying the kids from water-oops!
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
- Winston Churchill
No comments:
Post a Comment