Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
How do I begin explaining my first week of real-live-I'm-the-teacher-in-charge-of-44-students-all-day teaching? Well, in one word: extraordinary.
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| before... |
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| after! |
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| carpet area / library |
My
first day of teaching, I woke up after a full night of sleep, ready to
meet my 44 eleven year old students. I had my plans typed out with each
piece of information in a list. My fellow 6th grade teacher, Nick,
shared a checklist "script" with me that came in all kinds of handy. I
greeted all students at the door, and showed them to their seats. They
came in later than I expected, but once everyone was in, I began.
"Welcome to your homeroom class, Dali!" My sixth graders were very
silent, listening intently. How long will this last? I'm not sure... but
I used it to my advantage. I introduced myself, along with some of the
basic classroom policies we will go by. The noise meter, the bathroom
passes, the few sign-language-type signs we use in class, and how they
know what homework they have. All of these tools were laid out for
them, and we started using them consistently all week long.
This
year, 6th graders receive lockers. They could not wait to get their
locker assignments. I didn't give them their lockers until the end of
the day, so I doubt they really took in any of what I had said before
then. During this week, we will be going through some "locker
etiquette" lessons so that they're a little more organized. I've been
implementing a few new tools in the class to help them be just that.
Organized. I made a new box on my whiteboard that will have the
materials they need each day for class. So instead of hearing "Kaitlyn,
what do I need to bring to class?" 22 times, I tell them to look at the
purple box, and they all know what that means. Hopefully that catches
on quick!
As
far as my students, they're already great. I enjoy having them in
class everyday, and I think they're already comfortable with me. They
think I'm silly, especially when I read to them. We've had some moments
of read-alouds, and I do small voice changes and actions. I look up
from my book, and they're all looking at me with slightly open mouths
and big eyes. I giggle a little inside. These kids are a bit different
than 6th graders in the states. They still love being read to, we have
"carpet chats" where we all meet together in the back of the room on the
carpet, and I can ask them to keep their voices at a certain number on
the noise meter. They've got a bit more innocence, I'm sensing. No
matter what it is, they're very kind and respectful, always saying hello
to teachers in the hallways.
Also
with being respectful, I'm holding my kids to a higher standard than
other kids in the lower school. They know that if I see any of them
leave behind garbage during morning break or lunch, they lose their
break for 2-3 days. This school has had problems with kids not picking
up after themselves, and I hope to stop it for this class in 6th grade.
No one at this school is here to pick up after them, so they are to do
it themselves. Let's see how they do next week!
I'm
sure I'm missing a lot of details about the week, but I don't want to
overwhelm you all with small details. Overall, my kids are great, I
love my classroom and it's location, and the team of teachers who I work
with are spectacular. I have a great support system coming from home,
and here with my roommates. This is going to be a magical year. :)
Sunday we took our
now-traditional walk to the Santa Clara market for produce. I'm loving
this tradition. It's a refreshing 35-40 minute walk to the market, and
the prices are unbeatable. We have our favorite fruit and vegetable
ladies already who are very happy to see us each weekend.
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| veggie lady |
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| una vida saludable! |
Speaking
of the ladies of Gonzalez Suarez (That's the street I live on), we had a
wonderful weekend together. Friday after school it rained, so we
couldn't go to Parque Metropolitano, but Lydia and I did go out to
dinner with a bunch of the teachers from Menor at a good Vietnamese
restaurant. The pad thai wasn't quite as good as I was hoping, but it
satisfied the craving I've had for it since I left the states. Then
Lydia and I went dancing for a little while, then met up with the Menor
crew once again at a different bar. On our way back home, we were
stopped by the police in the streets and were asked for our
identification. A very scary moment for me, who never actually was
granted a visa in the states. (The visa situation is currently being
handled by the school, and next week I'll be meeting with the school
lawyer to get it changed for me to stay the whole year. Don't worry
mom!) I explained to the police that I was on a tourist visa, and had
entered the country on August 15, so I still had plenty of time. He
said I needed to have a copy of the stamp I received at customs the day I
came. I said, Yes sir. A little nerve-wracking, but glad I'm still
legal to be in the country.
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| the girls and I before our house-warming party |
Then
Saturday, Lydia, Claire, and I went to centro historico, the historic
center of the city to walk around and go to a museum. A very fun day for
the roommates :) We also went to a cafe that Claire knew of to watch
the sunset, and have desserts and drinks. A very nice and relaxing
place to be with my girls. We then went down to a friends apartment who
was having a lot of us teachers over for a drink and some food, and
then to go down to the Fiestas de Guapulo ( I went last year. Refer to
the Fiestas de Guapulo post for my personal experience.) This year, I
decided not to go. Massive amounts of fire and explosives in a very
cramped plaza was a one-time experience for me. So the three of us bid
the other teachers good luck, and walked back up to our apartment, where
we could see the fireworks and hear the music from a safe distance. We
sat in our living room, talking and drinking wine until the small hours
of the morning, and then it was off to bed.
Today was a long Monday, but school is still great. The students turned in their summer reading projects today, so let the grading begin! It definitely won't slow down from here on out. Well, it's late so time for bed, but in the next post I should have more pictures of my students and my classroom. Happy Tuesday everyone! Thanks for reading! oxoxo
Congratulations!
Then
Saturday, Lydia, Claire, and I went to centro historico, the historic
center of the city to walk around and go to a museum. A very fun day for
the roommates :) We also went to a cafe that Claire knew of to watch
the sunset, and have desserts and drinks. A very nice and relaxing
place to be with my girls. We then went down to a friends apartment who
was having a lot of us teachers over for a drink and some food, and
then to go down to the Fiestas de Guapulo ( I went last year. Refer to
the Fiestas de Guapulo post for my personal experience.) This year, I
decided not to go. Massive amounts of fire and explosives in a very
cramped plaza was a one-time experience for me. So the three of us bid
the other teachers good luck, and walked back up to our apartment, where
we could see the fireworks and hear the music from a safe distance. We
sat in our living room, talking and drinking wine until the small hours
of the morning, and then it was off to bed. 
