So my schedule is a little backwards but for those who have ever lived with me this comes as no surprise. I go to bed early and wake up even earlier to actually do my work. So here i am, almost done lesson planning for the morning, about to go get a bowl of special K before walking over to the metro for the morning commute.
This week has been good for me. Yesterday had me rolling, the kids did acting scenes that they had to make up in one of our classes. They had to be opposite roles (calm and frenzied, happy and miserable, ect) and some of the things they came up with were so bizarre. Hense the title of my blog today, that was one of the poems recited (or the beginning of one at least) that a student whipped out in the middle or a completely unrelated moment. The things kids come up with :)
Yesterday was my roommate Melissa's birthday and we finally had a party the penthouse deserves, finally a lot of guests over to share cake and pie. It was a good night of friends and then catching up with old buddies. Good times. The weather around here has been phenominal, i haven't been out of short sleeves yet!
My best friend Emily comes on Friday!!! i haven't seen her since she left on her mission to Hong Kong in March 2005. Don't ask me what we're doing yet, all i know is that i'm leading the choir saturday and monday is a holiday. hail julia. just catching up will be great though.
It's funny what being in class makes me think about lately. I've been reflecting a lot on which of my students I would be in my class... what kind of learner was i, what was my behavior there, ect. I never had the tempation to talk in class. Strange, i know, but i just wanted to sit and listen and i would get so aggrivated by the kids who wouldn't shut their mouths or who made extended, unneccessary comments. I don't think i was much of a teacher's pet but I did want to do well. For that reason it's just beyond me a lot of the time why my students act the way they do. I'm trying to get in their "world" the best i can, trying to understand their backgrounds and gauge what they're understanding as i teach by the responses and looks on their faces. But they hate shutting their mouths! they just can't do it! And turning in their work... it's a fluke if they actually remember. I guess i can't say one was is the right way or not, but it's certainly made me reevaluate the way i teach, which is a REALLY good thing. It's outside my comfort zone. I can't think about how I'D like to be educated, i have to think about how they can be educated. two very very different concepts. Anyway, I'm finally getting work out of them with a little incentive. It takes a while to build up credibility and trust in a classroom and i hope i'm on my way to it.
Honestly though, it's true that the best of the best were saved for the world today. Lots of times, and i mean lots of times, it takes looking really hard to see that in these kids but they are very strong. They have a moral backbone but most of the time it's just hard for them to find it. Or it's just never been necessary to use before. The word of the week in our class is "integrity." Funny how many of the students haven't even heard this word. our conversations about it are illuminating, i wish you could hear. They know what i want to hear them say about it sometimes but then when we discuss, it seems to be a concept that's a good one but slightly unneccessary or unattainable or something i can't put my finger on. But there's light in those eyes, every one of those kids.
Off to another Wednesday.
This week has been good for me. Yesterday had me rolling, the kids did acting scenes that they had to make up in one of our classes. They had to be opposite roles (calm and frenzied, happy and miserable, ect) and some of the things they came up with were so bizarre. Hense the title of my blog today, that was one of the poems recited (or the beginning of one at least) that a student whipped out in the middle or a completely unrelated moment. The things kids come up with :)
Yesterday was my roommate Melissa's birthday and we finally had a party the penthouse deserves, finally a lot of guests over to share cake and pie. It was a good night of friends and then catching up with old buddies. Good times. The weather around here has been phenominal, i haven't been out of short sleeves yet!
My best friend Emily comes on Friday!!! i haven't seen her since she left on her mission to Hong Kong in March 2005. Don't ask me what we're doing yet, all i know is that i'm leading the choir saturday and monday is a holiday. hail julia. just catching up will be great though.
It's funny what being in class makes me think about lately. I've been reflecting a lot on which of my students I would be in my class... what kind of learner was i, what was my behavior there, ect. I never had the tempation to talk in class. Strange, i know, but i just wanted to sit and listen and i would get so aggrivated by the kids who wouldn't shut their mouths or who made extended, unneccessary comments. I don't think i was much of a teacher's pet but I did want to do well. For that reason it's just beyond me a lot of the time why my students act the way they do. I'm trying to get in their "world" the best i can, trying to understand their backgrounds and gauge what they're understanding as i teach by the responses and looks on their faces. But they hate shutting their mouths! they just can't do it! And turning in their work... it's a fluke if they actually remember. I guess i can't say one was is the right way or not, but it's certainly made me reevaluate the way i teach, which is a REALLY good thing. It's outside my comfort zone. I can't think about how I'D like to be educated, i have to think about how they can be educated. two very very different concepts. Anyway, I'm finally getting work out of them with a little incentive. It takes a while to build up credibility and trust in a classroom and i hope i'm on my way to it.
Honestly though, it's true that the best of the best were saved for the world today. Lots of times, and i mean lots of times, it takes looking really hard to see that in these kids but they are very strong. They have a moral backbone but most of the time it's just hard for them to find it. Or it's just never been necessary to use before. The word of the week in our class is "integrity." Funny how many of the students haven't even heard this word. our conversations about it are illuminating, i wish you could hear. They know what i want to hear them say about it sometimes but then when we discuss, it seems to be a concept that's a good one but slightly unneccessary or unattainable or something i can't put my finger on. But there's light in those eyes, every one of those kids.
Off to another Wednesday.
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