I survived the first week in a classroom with 2nd grade girls. This may not sound like a great feat but let me assure you that it is!! My girls are really sweet and some have great English already BUT they are extremely talkative!!!!! Most are 7 years old with a couple of them being 8. I have 2 sets of girls. I have group 2A and 2B. One group has about 22 girls and the other about 26. I say about because it has been different everyday and I am told this is normal. I anticipate this will be more steady once the year starts going. These girls are below "grade level" as we think in the US but considering this is their second language and few use English at home, I am amazed at what they know and if they can't find English words to explain to me then they are great about "playing charades" with me to explain what they want to tell me. They also ask others in the class to help them "find" the English word to tell me. I have learned a few Arabic words and my favorite so far is "hallas". It means done. I say it frequently as they respond to that. This week I spent the week guaging where they are and will begin the "real" teaching this week...Insha'Allah! Insha'Allah means "god willing." This has become the term everyone uses from when the a/c will be fixed as to what time we will begin dismissal (a whole different story).
Dismissal:
Wow!!! If I ever thought that dismissal at any of my American schools was crazy the first week of school, there is no comparison to here. When the final bell rings, the girls leave the classroom and go to the courtyard and create some lines. I am told that these lines are bus lines. But what is amazing is the girls know exactly where to go and which line to get in. This is remarkable because at my previous schools, the kids had no idea where to go or what bus to get on. So basically when I open the classroom door, the girls go get in line and I do not have to do anything. That is quite NEW to me. The first couple of days I tried to be "in control" of my girls and make sure they were in the right place but I quickly learned that was not going to work. So, they do it on thier own.
Classroom pictures:
Dismissal:
Wow!!! If I ever thought that dismissal at any of my American schools was crazy the first week of school, there is no comparison to here. When the final bell rings, the girls leave the classroom and go to the courtyard and create some lines. I am told that these lines are bus lines. But what is amazing is the girls know exactly where to go and which line to get in. This is remarkable because at my previous schools, the kids had no idea where to go or what bus to get on. So basically when I open the classroom door, the girls go get in line and I do not have to do anything. That is quite NEW to me. The first couple of days I tried to be "in control" of my girls and make sure they were in the right place but I quickly learned that was not going to work. So, they do it on thier own.
Classroom pictures:
This is looking from the back of the classroom to the front.
This is from the door when you enter my classroom. Look at the 6 bulletin boards in the back and one on the right side. Yes, I have to keep these up. However, the ones is the back will be made into 3 boards and will show English, Math and Science work and skills being taught.
This is looking out into the courtyard where we meet in the mornings for assembly and then again for dismissal.
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