American Currency and Poerty

Monday June 16

It's a Monday. We began with morning assembly. Mr. White, the headmaster, spoke very softly. I could barely understand him. I don't really like morning assembly. It takes away from learning because all of the students have to gather. I think a simple thing over the intercom would work well.

Back in the classroom, we dove right into maths. Subtracting money. I helped at the lower level group again.

After play time the children started their RE lesson and I was sent off to make copies. She handed me a sheet and I was to make 20 copies. I didn't know how to use the copier, but I didn't tell her that. I bumped into Carly (another BSU student) at the copier. I asked if she could help me. It turns out she didn't know how to work it either. She couldn't figure out how to get everything centered. Once she was finished she tried to help me. Talk about blind leading the blind. We put in my paper and hit 20 copies. More copies of her paper came flying out! Rage quit printing! I hit the cancel button probably 20 times just to make sure it quit. But I only had 4 sheets of paper left. I wasn't about to go back to my teacher and tell her I messed up. Carly gave me the rest of her blank paper then she ran away. I then went into the office to see if someone would be able to help me. I said "excuse me" and waited for a response. I got nothing. So I continued asking if someone could help me use the copier. Finally one of them huffed and helped me.

I came back in and the students were reading another chapter in the world cup story. I actually enjoy that story. It is interesting how the author incorporates the game facts from the night before and then the readers get to choose where the story goes next.

After the story, I was told to have individual students read to me. I had to listen to them and then check their understanding. I took one boy outside with me first. He had a tiny book about ducks. He is not the best reader in the class. He really struggled reading this book out loud to me, but he did understand what he read. I was surprised. Another was sent out next. I didn't expect him to be as good of a reader as he was. He was reading a chapter book. He blew through his punctuation signs (full stops), but other than that he was a good reader. He was pretty good with the comprehension too.

Play time. I had to set up for the continuation of my lesson from thursday. The students were to take home the worksheets I gave them, fill them out, and then bring them back in. Well, only some of the students did that. Then I gave them their cut out states and they had to write the states name, draw a picture that represented the state, and color it in. Only 7 people finished. My children work so slowly. They kept coming up to me telling me they didn't know what to draw. I told them to look at their fact sheets. They would then tell me that they couldn't complete their fact sheets over the weekend for whatever reason. I told them to ask other members of their group then. We did this up to the end of the day.

The bell rang and I got out of there as fast as possible. I don't like talking to her and she doesn't like talking to me.

Tuesday June 17

At breakfast, I extracted sea urchin from Karli's ankle. She still had it in there from the weekend. It took a little while, but eventually I got all of it out.

Today was the day of the RE (church) observations. The whole school was preparing. Everyone had all of their crosses and churchy posters on the walls and their best faces on.

We read the world cup story in the morning and prepped for the inspection.

Play time.

We came back from break and had our RE inspection. I had to sit next to one boy to make sure he was on the right track. He was all over the place. I had to keep redirecting him. My teacher was a little nicer, but not really. She still yelled at the kids. It wasn't as bad, but still. The kids then got to take turns being the priest and sinner. It was funny watching them in the cut up stolls (what Abby and I cut up yesterday) with their hands over the 'sinner's' head absolving them of their sins. Quite amusing. I think our class did fine. We didn't get yelled at. They worked on odds and ends with the students until lunch. I had to take students outside to have them read to me. Katie Kelly came outside with me this time. She was a better reader, but still had some issues. She had pretty good comprehension.

Lunch time. I ate and then headed toward the classroom to set up for my maths lesson. I pulled up prezi and printed off papers.

My lesson. My teacher observed this lesson. Oh goodie! I didn't like that she observed it, but oh well. My video didn't work. The students were a mess after that. I had a hard time gaining their attention back. I went through my presentation and gave them the work. They did alright. Some were really lost, while others did just fine.

Play time.

After break. She told me to wrap it up. I did and then she talked to me about my lesson. She said that I needed to work on watching everyone in the classroom because I looked toward the middle and forgot the lower students. I also needed to write my information on the board because the students couldn't remember what I had said. Finally, she said that I needed to print more pieces of paper out so that the students could share. I didn't want to use up all of my paper.

Wednesday June 18

Next we had our spanish teacher come in for a spanish language. I tried to pull up different spanish words. I only had 2 years spanish, but I still remembered a few things. They started with an Hola Classe song. Then they moved onto a Me llamo ______ song. Then they started a where I live song. Then moved onto Que tiempo hace? They pronounced 'c' as 'th'. It was really weird hearing them talk. They all said everything in unison. It was really funny. They said hace calor a lot. All I could think of was "Hace calor. Sí sí señor. Could fry an egg on the cement its so caliente!" I sang that the entire lesson. They played the flyswatter game. That really took me back to high school…

Hace calor. Sí sí señor. Could fry an egg on the cement its so caliente!

This is still before break. We start maths. The students start analog time. I had to take one girl into the back and work on money. She has had several people working with her on it. She still didn't understand. I would put out two different coins and have her add them together. I gave her 20p and 5p. She didn't know how to do that. I told her that if she had one coin with a 0 at the and one without, the one without the 0 would replace the 0. She seemed to understand that. I tried it several times with different coins. Then I added more coins in. Eventually I gave her 3 pound coins a 50p, 2p, 1p, and 1p. She could add them. I kept encouraging and praising her. I was actually really proud. I waited until every other student had left for play time and I called my teacher over. The little girl showed her how she could add them. After she left, my teacher told me that I did a good job with her and I might have the special touch. This is the first time she actually said something nice to me.

Play time

Back from play time, I gave the same little girl a sample test. She did not do to well on it, but she tried really hard to get them right. That took almost the whole time until lunch. After working with her, I walked around and helped the students with their World Cup books. I had to trace things and draw things for the students.

Lunch time.

After lunch, there was a maths workshop--for students. Both Year 4 classes headed to the hall (gym) and met teachers from another school. They had set up a maths treasure hunt. The students had to go to each station, complete a puzzle, and receive a clue. Then at the end they had to put the clues together to find the buried treasure. Our teachers set outside and graded papers, the kids ran around to the stations, Abby and I just talked. It was really nice. We bounced lesson ideas off of each other. We came up with some good ones. The cherubs in my class found the treasure and won the best teamwork award. I was proud of them.

Thursday June 19

Today was an alright day. My teacher was in a decent mood this morning. First off, the cherubs had a practice math test thing. I had to take two students into room 15 to give them the test slower. Boy are they slow at answering questions. And they got almost every single one wrong. I couldn't help. I could just recite the question twice and be on my way. Just as I was giving them the last question, we were summoned back into the room for health.  

Health lesson today was a little different. We didn't do circle time, instead we had a review of change and groups in which we belong. The students then had to draw pictures of groups they belong in. Some of the children got it, and others didn't. I had to help several people.  

Play time.

The cherubs came into the classroom really crazy and loud. I was the only person in the room to control them. I had them alone for a few minutes. I calmed them down and got their attention. Christian and Katie went to find the supply (sub) PE teacher. When he came in, the children were loud again. I did the clap and got their attention. He asked "Is everything ok Miss" and I told him they were all his. They were so rowdy. They were bouncing off the walls. We played several team building activities. Playing cat and mouse, playing toss the tennis ball, toss the basketball in groups. Eventually we moved outside. But before we did, I had several girls crying. I have no idea what they were crying about, but there were tears. I told them they had to keep playing. Children came to me saying their stomachs hurt and they were dizzy. Whatever, I would be nice and let them sit out. The supply teacher didn't know what was going on. He asked me again if everything was alright. I told I'm it was all fine. We played a few rounds of tossing the basketball outside and then the bell rang. He left me with all of the children running into the building. I made them change out of their PE kits before lunch. They were all over the classroom. Dresses, cardigans, jumpers, and pants flying everywhere. I told them to hurry up.

Lunch time. I ate quickly and then went into the classroom to print things off. My teacher brought a children's computer for me to use because she was busy on hers. The dumb thing wouldn't hook up to the printer. I went into room 15 to try use the printer because she was working on her computer and was mad that I would need it. It wouldn't print on 15, so I had to go into the teacher's lounge and take her computer from her. She was sad to let it go and told me not to drop it. I promised her I wouldn't. I quickly went back to the room because I had wasted 20 minutes already and only had 10 minutes to print everything and set up. I actually got it all done in time.

Lesson time! I did a poetry lesson on Mattie J.T. Stepanek. We learned about who he was and the children rewrote on of his poems to be about themselves. It actually went really well, I was pleasantly surprised. They all wrote really cute poems. Not everyone finished, but that was fine.

Until next time! Ta and Cheers!