Survival of the fittest

Well I survived my first week of teaching and let me tell you it wasn't a treat...:) There were definitely highs and then definitely lows. I really enjoy the kids and they all are pretty decent kids, it's just that we are the English speaking American teachers and they get sick of us quickly. So they start to tune us out. It is so different than teaching in Forest City, Iowa. It has been a challenge but it has been a good challenge. This will help me grow in my skills and hopefully by the end of September, they will be eating out of my hand. I had after school duty all this week and it was CRAZY. The parents have this pick up system where they get into a line and each family has a particular time to pick their kids up. The Spanish teachers announce the names over the mic system and we take them to their cars. It is a quick way to get all the kids out at the end of the day. The kids are here for a sec and gone the next. I would have to say each night this week I was TIRED and every morning I was tired...so hopefully each week will get better with that as well:).

My third graders (morning group) are the cutest kids and they still like to please and ask lots of questions. One thing though is that they are so hyper and they all talk at once and want to know what they are supposed to do. They raise their hand while shouting and saying, "No meeess I dunno," or "I don't understand." This is after I have explained it many times. I am training them to just raise their hand silently and I will answer their question. I am also teaching them to read the bold print because so many times after I tell them to read the directions to me they go "oooooo I seeeeee." Another thing is that I will have them turn 2 things into their in-box and then for the next 2 things, they will constantly ask me where it goes. I try patiently to remind them. Part of the reason they don't know is because they are talking, explaining things to their partner in Spanish or they just plain don't understand English. It is frustrating at times but we are both learning to better get across what we are trying to say. Each day has been significantly better than the first. So cross your fingers it will only keep getting better. One of my highs for the week is getting to know the kids in the morning. They will all come to my door really early and just crowd around my desk and ask me questions. Many of them bring me presents which just make me smile. One of the girls even wore a t-shirt two days in a row that said Minnesota on it for me:)

And now for the Fourth Grade Demons.....Let's just say the first day, I came home with a hoarse voice. These kids have zero concept of what it means to be quiet when someone is talking. It doesn't faze them at all to talk when I am talking and just tune me out and they are in 4th grade. I've started this new system with them and each week a folder goes home with them about their behavior. I haven't seen it this bad, they laugh and giggle, while I am explaining things to them and then they even have the nerve to ask me to repeat and/or explain it again. I have been rearranging desks all week and I am running out of room to put people. I have 28 kids in one room. Part of the problem is that they come to my room just from recess and then they have to stop at their locker and get a bunch of books and then get to class. It wastes sooooo much time and then they need a drink or they need to go to the bathroom. Then they get to class and they don't read the board and mess around and I write their name down and then they argue with me that they didn't do anything wrong. I know a part of it is their culture and language barrier but another part is that they don't hold the same respect for their Spanish teachers as their English teachers. I don't mean to just be a downer about my kids but it is frustrating. There are however sooooo many good kids too. There are a few girls that ask questions and if I had a class of them I would love it!!! I feel terrible that I have to assign more homework and raise my voice. One of the girls said however even though I yell and give extra homework, I am cool. That actually made my day because then I didn't feel so crappy. I know the kids are prolly bored because they have to do so much in one day and it is a lot of book work. They way the school has the curriculum set up, we aren't able to do as much outside of the books as I would like to. So my goal is to somehow incorporate it into fun things and maybe the kids will be more interested. I did send home Friday folders today and I made 5 kids cry about the marks they got this week. I feel bad yet at the same time my hope is that they see this and want to change their behavior. This weekend, I plan on just doing some grading, relaxing and SLEEPING IN. I honestly can't wait!!!:)